Before we are born, we might have been sung to by our mothers while we are in the womb. After we are born, we listen to lullabies of whatever cultures we arrive into. As we grow up, we are exposed to cartoons, then movies, TV shows, radio, pop music, classical, the national anthem to wedding music. Even if we shut our ears off, we cannot deny that music is an accompaniment of our existence. With music so deeply ingrained into our genes, it is no surprise there are benefits of music learning in child development.
Benefits of Music On Developing Brain
Music has been found to help us focus on the task at hand. Research has shown that those who listened to music had better memory performance than those who did not. It is no wonder music has benefits on the developing brain of a child.
According to the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute, being exposed to music in the early years can help to accelerate brain development in children. These developments take place particularly in language acquisition and reading skills. It is also discovered that learning to play an instrument can also help improve mathematical learning and in scoring well in SAT.
However, music education is not only beneficial for academic achievements. Music lights up a child’s brain in social and emotional development. Music brings about social cohesiveness where children dance and move together with music. Moving with music naturally helps children develop motor skills. Children also learn to play together with music toys, making sounds together. Music also helps to develop a child’s emotions as s/he learns to groove to upbeat music and slow down with low-tempo music.
Exposing children to music at an early age helps them with learning new sounds and words. It also allows them to express themselves and strengthen memory skills.
Music Activities With Your Child
There are various ways to bring music into your child’s life at different stages of development. If you are a new dad or mum, you can start playing quiet and soothing background music when your little infant is sleeping. Find short and simple music to sing to them while you are helping your baby with washing, dressing, and eating.
Toddlers, on the other hand, learn by repetition, and singing silly songs helps them learn new words while making them laugh. As they grow up into preschoolers, they will enjoy singing for the sake of singing. Clap and sing together with your preschooler to encourage self-expression. Preschoolers love songs about toys, animals, and things they are familiar with.
When your child grows into school-going age, they begin to express their likes and dislikes of a variety of music. If you have teenage children, you might notice they use musical experiences to form friendships and to develop their personalities.
If you think your teenager might be drifting away from you, get interested to learn about the music they love. Maybe even sign up to learn a musical instrument together. Music has been shown to help a parent bond with their child well into their adulthood.
Comments