Music and Kids - What you need to know

We instinctively use music when our kids are babies, singing to them when they are upset and using lullabies to get them to sleep. Music plays an important role in our lives, every day; it is everywhere out on the streets and in the home. Of course, when our kids are little we use music but sometimes that habit falls by the wayside when they grow bigger and begin going to daycare, kindergarten and school.

Music, as they say, is good for the soul. However, the benefits of exposing kids to music go beyond instant improvement in mood. Of course, we all know that music can be calming and it can be uplifting but it can help aid learning as well as developing social skills, motor skills and language skills. I have a music category on the blog which is regularly updated with new activities to go with music. But why use music? I asked some people who should know; Lou Gallo of Like Father Like Son about whom I wrote a blog post recently, said:

“Melody and rhythm can enhance memory and language skills, especially for young children and children with learning disabilities. I remember when my son was having difficulty learning his phone number, so … we sang it!  All he needed to do was remember the song"

The benefits of using music

I wrote a post for musician Steve Elci recently and he shared his thoughts with me on the benefits of music:

“Music is the fabric that runs through all of us, it’s a language we all respond to. Teaching kids using music amplifies the learning process, allowing kids to become better learners. It’s important to expose kids to music at an early age as it helps brain function and overall development and well-being.”

This correlates with a 2016 study at the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute where it was found that musical experiences in childhood can accelerate brain development, particularly in the areas of language acquisition and reading skills. According to the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation (NAMM Foundation), learning to play an instrument can improve mathematical learning and increase SAT scores.

Reinforcing Language

In my days teaching children English in Japan, I used music every day to help reinforce language that I was teaching - starting with kids as young as 18 months. With repetition and either demonstration or illustration (showing what you mean using your body or pictures) AND music, I was able to teach non-English speakers new vocabulary without using any Japanese. Music and chants were essential in my lessons teaching young children English. Native English speakers can also learn new vocabulary and deepen their language skills using music. Repetition of vocabulary which is common in children's songs is useful in teaching younger learners, not to mention that if kids are having fun they willingly participate and do not feel like they are learning at all.

How You Can Use Music

Take the song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star which is a song you might sing to a one-year old. Using the song and actions or pictures you can teach a one year old shapes (star, diamond) and positions (up above, high) as well as enjoying the calming melody. This can further be developed by mixing up the vocabulary and thus further developing learning. So you could do 'pointy, pointy triangle', 'smooth and shiny blue square' etc. To see my separate post on how to use Twinkle Twinkle Little Star click here.

You don't have to be good at music. You don't even have to be able to sing or to read music. I am not a great singer and I am not trained in playing any musical instruments either. Kids don't care about this. If you give a baby a rattle they will automatically shake it just like a one year old will shake his little bottom back and forward if he likes a piece of music that is playing!

Make Up Songs Using Tunes That You Already Know

You can use popular tunes that your kids already know and change the words. For example, once my son asked me to sing him a song about a brachiosaurus dinosaur. I didn't know one so I just made it up, using the song of Skip To My Lou which it turns out fits perfectly with the number of syllables in the word 'brachiosaurus'!

We often sing 'Incy Wincy Spider' and I change the spider to my son or daughter's name and change it around to make a funny song. Doing this sort of activity encourages creativity and an ability to think outside the box. London Bridge and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star both have simple melodies that can be used to create a unique song. Try it and see!

Music Adds Interest to an Activity

Using music adds interest and keeps children's focus. It also gives the activity a start and an end. When doing any activity with kids you need a definitive start and a proper conclusion. Kids need to know that something is 'finished' and that they have completed the activity otherwise the end seems a bit deflated. Using music gives you this. In my post about the song 'Un Elefante', we used the music to create a counting song in Spanish that was made fun by playing a parachute game. When the song finished, there were five elephants bouncing on the parachute and when the music stopped the game naturally stopped. Then we could decide whether to do it again or stop and do something else.

Teaching ABCs

You can use music to teach the alphabet. Every kid knows the alphabet song but you'll notice that most kids mess up the 'L, M ,N, O, P' part. By showing the kids the alphabet as you sing they get the added benefit of learning the letters and checking that they are saying the right one. Take a look at some other alphabet song games if you'd like to learn more.

Musical Genres

Everyone has a genre or musical style that resonates with them more than others and that is why it is important to introduce your kids to different musical genres. Of course, we all have heard about the benefits of playing Mozart to children (I particularly recommend the Clarinet Concerto - so relaxing!) but kids will also enjoy hearing other genres too as well as the music that you personally prefer to listen to. Kids' music these days is so diverse too and there and so many exceptional kids musicians, many of whom have their own You Tube channels. In the music section there are lots of activities that I have created to go with some fantastic kids musicians that are currently releasing very diverse music that is educational and fun.

The benefits of a chant

Chants are like music in a way, and they help keep focus and guide a child through a verse. They will more willingly join in if you add a rhythm to a sentence and repeat it. You can use chant-style language to play games like 'Who took the cookie from the cookie jar?', or to read the book 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?' or 'We're Going On A Bear Hunt'. These books have repetition that naturally lends itself to a chant style way of reading. It often helps to pat your knee in a slow rhythm as you read and keep your words in time with the rhythm. These games and stories can be played again and again. Children benefit from repetition and review of concepts, and many children's books have the repetition that is needed to help develop early language skills. Add in a rhythm to the words as you read and you have a great activity.

When to use music?

Of course the answer is anytime! We often sing songs during bath time, when getting dressed, while in the car, while walking to school... In times when things feel frenetic, stick on some Mozart. After dinner while you're cleaning up put on something that's good to dance to and bring out the shakers and drums. We particularly love using our cheerleading pompoms! You don't always have to feel that you should do an activity or include musical instruments however. Of course, the main reason to use music is that its fun and beneficial to everyone's mood!

Interested in working with me?

I will create an activity to go with your piece of music and publish it on the blog and social media as long as it is a piece of music that I feel I could work with. Please contact me at mail@mamatomomama.com if you would like to discuss this.

Does your kid have a favorite song that you would like me to create an activity for? Let me know at the above email address and I might be able to create an activity or craft for you!

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