The Benefits of Music for Young Children

Sep 7, 2011
Christine Moore

Children and Music - flickr.com, shankar,shiv

Whether in a classroom or at home, including music into a young child's world benefits his/her overall development.

Singing and music is an integral component in creating an environment for a child that is filled with beneficial experiences for overall development. The following article provides such benefits as well as some hints for introducing music to a child or group of children.

Benefits of Musical Experiences for Young Children

There are so many ways music fosters the development of the whole child. For instance, musical experiences provide young children the opportunity to explore the emotional impact of music, while developing listening skills for different kinds of sounds. In addition, singing fosters language development and provides an expressive and creative outlet for the individual child .Furthermore, being introduced to musical instruments provides fine motor skill development while action songs, dancing and creative movement hold opportunities for young children to develop their skills in balance and coordination to rhythm and beats. Perhaps, one of the best benefits of music is how it can reach each child and be enjoyed regardless of his/her developmental needs and age.

Hints for Introducing Singing with Young Children

Whether as a parent, an early childhood educator or childcare provider, the individual's personality and familiarity with music will determine how it enters her/his workplace or home life. Some people are very naturally drawn towards singing, dancing and playing music. But for others, the act of making music may be out of his/her comfort zone. The following list provides some hints for introducing and developing singing experiences with a young child or young children:

Important to note is the adult singer may be singing alone for quite some time until the child or children have learnt the words to the song.
As long as the singer sings with enthusiasm, the child does not care if the notes are too sharp or flat. The child is not judging whether the song is in tune or not.
Children grasp onto familiarity. They will learn favourites and often will want to hear the same song again and again.
Children like repetition, so some song choices which work with young children are the songs with repeated lyrics.
Actions and hand movements work well when singing with young children
When singing with a group of children, instead of waiting for them to stop talking, just start singing
Props, like puppets or felt stories, along with a song is a great way to introduce singing experiences with children.
Play music throughout daily routines, such as while driving in the car, before naptime or while playing.
Listen to children's music that is developmentally and age appropriate, but also try playing other types of instrumental music, such as classical or jazz.

Music is apart of everyone's life in some way or other. Music appropriate for young listening ears will help children develop beneficial skills and contribute to their overall development.

Source: Eliason and Jenkins, A Practical Guide to Early Childhood Curriculum, 6th Ed., United States: Merill Publishing, 1999.