How to get your child interested in music
Enjoying music with your child is great together time but it goes way beyond using a couple of upturned pots as a drum kit. In fact, getting your child interested in music cultivates skills that will make a big difference to her development and learning. Studies have found that children who learn music do better at school when it comes to reading, spelling, math, listening skills, and motor skills. It encourages movement, as you both march along or dance to music, and also can help your child relax, making her more receptive to learning, and introduce her to sound as an expression of emotion and creativity.
It helps with:
Concentration She’ll need to be able to focus on a particular activity over extended periods of time if she’s learning to play a musical instrument and she can put those concentration skills to good use when it comes to learning letters and numbers.
Co-ordination Playing a musical instrument requires hand-eye coordination, just like playing with developmental toys.
Patience Young children have poor impulse control but learning a musical instrument will mean your child has to be patient
Self-confidence Your child’s confidence will be boosted by learning to read and play music, and by your encouragement and praise.
What type of music is best?
Music that lets your child take part is best, so sing action songs and let her tap out a beat on toy bongos or those upturned pots or old, washed yogurt and margarine containers. Music with a good, solid drumbeat is good, as is tinkly piano and violin music – Mozart is ideal if you’d like to introduce your baby to classical music. Your local library will be a great source of children’s music and nursery rhyme CDs if you don’t know many yourself.
Sing ABC songs to help your child learn the alphabet and 123 songs to help with numbers. Keep fast-tempo songs for wide-awake play, and slower, more relaxing music for the end of the day when you want your child to wind down towards bedtime. Try making faces or sounds along with the music depending on what it sounds like, so she can associate sound with emotions.
Move to the music: clap, jump and dance along with it so she can get in touch with her own musical timing. Sing or listen to music in the car, and do household chores along to it – clearing away toys to music will turn the task into a fun game for your child. Id he’s at daycare or preschool, ask what he’s singing and what musical games the children play, so you can play them at home. If your child stays at home with you, your local library likely will have a toddler activity program that incorporates music, or there may be local music and movement classes on offer at the YMCA. is
Musical instruments for your child
Your toddler will love playing with toy drums, shakers, jingle bells, tambourines, cymbals and xylophones. You can make your own musical instruments together: a plastic water bottle a third filled with dried beans or pasta makes a great shaker (screw the lid on tightly and tape it for added safety), and empty coffee cans or oatmeal tubs could be turned into a mini-drumkit.
Your child’s brain probably won’t be ready to formally start learning to play a musical instrument until he’s around three years of age. The piano is a good place to start as the techniques doesn’t involve any complicated fingering techniques involved in playing the guitar or violin. Wind instruments, such as a recorder, also are good and can help hone your child’s finger dexterity as he moves them on and off the holes.
The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.
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Last Modified: 24/05/2009
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