Psychology Today shares a story of a child who experienced anxiety, but calmed down when he listened to classical music. And BabyCenter.com points out how music helps parents to bond with their young children.
Plus, CreativityInstitute.com shares how music helps children to:
So the benefits are significant—but how do you expose your preschooler to music in an enjoyable, age-appropriate way?
Music appreciation begins by simply listening to and enjoying its melodies, words and rhythms. Children who do this are “exposed to a wide variety of tastes, smells, textures, colors and sounds. And researchers believe this forges more pathways between the cells in their brains,” according to the KidsHealth story. Benefits increase further when children actively participate in the music.
In this stage of development, children enjoy songs that “repeat words and melodies, rhythms with a definite beat and words that ask them to do things.” Teach them those types of songs while also exposing them to a variety of genres, from folk to opera. Play act to the music, perhaps pretending to be animals or objects.
Provide them with safe and durable musical toys, and also play musical games. For example, ask your child to close his or her eyes and then describe the sounds heard. Where are they coming from? Try this both indoors and outdoors. Then, while your child’s eyes are still closed, purposely create a sound and then have your child guess what’s making that sound.
Encourage your child, in a fun way, to listen to beats. Are they steady? Does a kitchen clock tick regularly (assuming you still have a clock that ticks). What about a dog barking? How steady is that sound?
Create rhythms with hands, feet and voices. Add in rhythm sticks, bells or other simple instruments. You can even create your own instruments by filling plastic containers with seeds, beads, rice or beans. Use rubber bands stretched around coffee cans or shoeboxes to make stringed instruments.
Can your child mimic the sound of a galloping horse? A snail crawling? Create a “concert” of sounds that includes loud and soft ones, fast and slow ones.
Move your body to the various rhythms and tempos of songs—and then ask your child to copy your movements. Then, reverse! Let your child take the lead and you copy him or her. Get a scarf for each of you and raise and lower the scarves as pitches ascend and descend. Or walk on tiptoe during quiet music and stomp feet during louder music. Practicing this type of physical control can help your preschooler to build concentration and self-control.
Select a preschool program that incorporates music in fun and educational ways. That way, the benefits of music participation are reinforced throughout the week.
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