For the majority of adults, listening to music is a way to pass the time, fight boredom, and for other petty reasons. However, music benefits kids in a lot more ways. Music has a vaooh7riety of advantages for kids, including speeding up language learning and boosting self-esteem.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science has conducted numerous studies that show music fosters children’s ability to learn new words, improve their motor abilities, and develop their creativity. According to neuroscience, listening to music stimulates the brain’s hearing, language, and motor control centers. Also, beyond the realm of research, our personal experiences with music are powerful enough to persuade us of its positive effects. For example, music cheers us up during our moments of weakness.
Hence, we decided to write about some developmental advantages of music for kids in this piece. But first, let’s briefly discuss the historical beginnings of music.
Table Of Contents
Music And Children: Benefits Of Music In Child Development
Relaxing music improves your child’s mood.
Children’s analytical abilities are strengthened when they learn to play musical instruments.
Fosters the link between parents and children
Improves cognitive development
Enhances emotional and social intelligence
Some Musical Instruments To Get For Your Kids
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does music affect a child’s brain development?
What are the benefits of music lessons?
What are the benefits of music therapy for children?
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Origin Of Music
Several theories have been put forth on the origin of music, but I would like to focus on the idealism of musicologist Curt Sachs in this article. Sachs said that music has two origins: speech and emotional expression. He stressed that despite regional differences in music, these two distinct musical genres—expressionistic and communicative—evolved independently. In essence, he was arguing that music may be a means of verbal and nonverbal expression of emotions or pure words.
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Types Of Music For Children
There are numerous genres and styles of music in various cultures around the world. But in this article, we will restrict our choices to some kid-friendly tunes you can expose to your children. Some of these tunes are:
- Sing-Along
- Lullabies
- Nursery Rhymes
- Stories
- Music, Pop, and Classical
- Jazz
- Multicultural music
Music And Children: Benefits Of Music In Child Development
Our brief tour of the history of music and some genres to expose your kids to is now complete. Let’s now look at some of the main advantages of music for children’s development:
Relaxing music improves your child’s mood.
The first sound that a developing fetus hears is between 16 and 18 weeks into the pregnancy. By the time the child reaches 24 weeks, the hearing sense has developed enough for it to be able to consistently pick up sounds from its surroundings. At this point, the fetus starts to listen to its mother’s voice and words. Listening to or singing peaceful tunes will help to lift your child’s spirits at this point and even till postpartum.
Slow, repetitive, and classical songs might help children unwind by slowing their heartbeat. Also, to help children develop a more regular sleep schedule, parents are encouraged to sing lullabies to their children.
Children’s analytical abilities are strengthened when they learn to play musical instruments.
Several studies conducted in the past have shown that young children who were exposed to learning musical instruments fared better on arithmetic tests and received higher SAT scores than those who were not. This is because learning musical instruments stimulates a cerebral pathway for reasoning.
Fosters the link between parents and children
Children tend to recognize their parents’ voices, especially their mother’s, even before they are born. Hence, teaching your child new songs and singing to them is a wonderful way to strengthen your bond with them.
Improves cognitive development
This is unquestionably the most notable advantage of music for your children. Children are frequently described as quick learners. Your child can be put on the proper developmental path with the appropriate exposure to music at the appropriate time. The extras that come with good music include physical coordination such as jumping, clapping, waving, pointing, slamming, and more. Your youngster can also learn new vocabulary, intonations, pronunciations, and numeracy skills through music. You can as well teach your kids essential ideas through music.
Enhances emotional and social intelligence
When directed toward a common objective, teamwork, social, and the majority of emotional abilities become highly developed. Your child can develop their social and emotional abilities by participating in group activities such as singing, listening to music, learning a new song, or playing an instrument. This might foster a sense of unity among them and their peers. It is also a great means to boost their confidence.
Good music makes them joyful
Have you ever seen children move spontaneously to music? That is because they enjoy good music as well. Beyond brain growth, music is a terrific approach for your youngster to hone their emotions. Music improves children’s moods in the same way as it does for most adults. It is a fantastic method to make your youngster happy; if your child is always gloomy around the house, play enjoyable music continuously and watch as they move from boredom to excitement.
Some Musical Instruments To Get For Your Kids
Choosing the right musical instrument for your kids can be as stressful as shopping for groceries. There are several factors to consider before deciding on which instrument to get for your kids.
Some of these factors are the age of the child, your budget, and your child’s musical needs. However, out of numerous options to pick from, we decided to help you by creating a simple list of some instruments to get for your kids across different age levels.
Some instruments to get for your kids are:
- Egg Shakers
- Harmonica
- Hand Cymbals
- Xylophone
- Piano
- Drums
- Hand Bells
- Kalimba
- Triangle
- Violin
- Tambourines
- Boomwhackers
- Guitar
- Hand Percussion
Conclusion
Conclusively, your child’s early development will improve by adding music to their norms, routines, and plays. Music can enliven them, provoke thoughts, and stimulate originality. Making and listening to music is an additional way to help your children develop their emotional, literacy, and numeracy skills.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does music affect a child’s brain development?
The American Association for the Advancement of Science has undertaken multiple studies that demonstrate how music assists youngsters in acquiring new words, increasing their creativity level, and improving their motor skills. Also, the hearing, language, and motor control areas of the brain are reportedly stimulated by listening to music.
What are the benefits of music lessons?
It has been demonstrated in a number of studies that young children who were exposed to learning musical instruments performed better on arithmetic exams and obtained higher SAT scores than those who were not. This is because learning musical instruments stimulates a brain region involved in reasoning.
Here at Bow Lakes Music, we offered affordable music lessons and instrument training sessions. We will be more than happy to feature in your child’s success story.
What are the benefits of music therapy for children?
Slow, repetitive, and classical music may aid in children’s relaxation because slow music slows down the heartbeat. In contrast, fast music can help lift their spirits. Finally, parents are advised to sing lullabies to their children to help them establish a more regular sleep cycle.