Music Comes Naturally to Children
by Isabelle Plomp, MEd, ECE Dip.
Children respond to music at a very early age. Infants can be soothed by music. There is evidence that music played while the baby is in the womb can be calming to the baby inside as well as after it is born when it hears the same music (Partanen et al, 2013). Consistent use of soothing music can help a baby drift off to sleep. Young toddlers naturally move their bodies to the beat of the music.
Music is an international language since music is involved in almost every culture. Everyone brings their own personal experience to music. It builds language and social skills in young and older children alike. Music joins us with others in mutual shared experiences, creating a sense of belonging that teaches us how to ‘be with’ others.” (Custodero, 2008). “There is a strong relationship between musical discrimination abilities and language-related skills” (Forgeard et al, 2008).
“Music can improve listening and oral language skill development, improve attention and memory, and enhance abstract thinking” (Hill-Clark and Robinson, 2003). Additionally, music can enhance childrens’ creativity and cultural awareness (Paquette and Rieg, 2008). Music spans both sides of the brain, with language and words being interpreted in the left hemisphere, while music and sounds are interpreted in the right hemisphere (Yonetani, 2017). Sometimes children are better able to learn concepts when they are presented through music as it accesses both sides of the brain.
In the early years, children should have lots of opportunities for listening to music, singing, playing, and creating music. Emphasis should be on the “process” rather than producing an “end-product”. Music can encourage self-expression, communication, motor skills, etc. Making music promotes independence, self-confidence, ownership, rhythmic exploration, collaborative music making (Rajan, 2012). The best songs for young children are short, or have repetitive verses, involve movement, and don’t have too big of a range of notes.
We tend to sing slower than we talk. Singing elongates the vowel sounds more than consonants making children more aware of vowel sounds. Where the stress of words fall in music helps children learning English and to pronounce words correctly. Phonological skills are also practiced within musical experiences – rhyme, playing with sounds, etc.
Adults usually need to sing at a higher pitch than they would naturally sing so that it is comfortable for younger children to join in. If you aren’t sure what pitch/place to start at, have your child sing something on their own to get a sense of what pitch is comfortable for them. Singing, using your own voice, with your child is easier for them than singing with a recorded version of a song. Recorded versions are often too fast for little ones. Children really don’t care what adults sound like when they sing, so enjoy the experience even if you don’t think you sing well as an adult. The concept of oneself as a “singer” or “non-singer” is most often established by age 8! (Abril, 2007)
Tips to promote music participation:
- Make it fun!
- Be at your child’s level and sing with your child to encourage their participation
- Use repetition and actions or movement
- Use purposeful pauses to encourage children to fill in the blank in songs
- Use props that go with the music activity such as puppets, toys that represent items in a song, or musical instruments (purchased items such as bells, rhythm sticks, shakers, etc. or homemade ones)
Our local library offers songs and rhymes programs for caregivers and children. These are an excellent way to enhance your repitoir of songs to sing with your child!
SOURCES:
Abril, C. R. (2007). I have a voice but I just can’t sing: a narrative investigation of singing and social anxiety. Music Education Research, 9(1), 1-15.
Custodero, L. A. (2008). Living jazz, learning jazz: Thoughts on a responsive pedagogy of early childhood music. General Music Today, 22, 24-29. doi:10.1177/1048371308323397
Forgeard, M., Schlaug, G., Norton, A., Rosam, C. Iyengar, U. & Winner, E. (2008). The relation between music and phonological processing in normal-reading children and children with dyslexia. Music Perception, 25(4), 383-390.
Partanen E, Kujala T, Tervaniemi M, Huotilainen M (2013) Prenatal Music Exposure Induces Long-Term Neural Effects. PLoS ONE 8(10): e78946. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078946
Paquette, K. R., & Rieg, S. A. (2008). Using music to support the literacy development of young english language learners. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36, 227-232. doi:10.1007/s10643-008-0277-9
Rajan, R. S. (2012). I’ve got rhythm! Fostering child-centered musical activities for preschoolers. General Music Today, XX(X), 1-5. doi:10.1177/10483713122447937
Yonetani, A. (2017). “Your brain on music”. The Magazine of the University of Central Florida – Summer 2017.
Photo: https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/the-simple-power-of-singing-to-kids