The Value of Song and Music
Songs and music accompany many aspects of a child’s daily life. From television jingles and theme songs to bedtime lullabies like twinkle, twinkle, little star..., nursery rhymes like this old man… and even the ring of the ice cream truck, there is a song or melody around every corner.
Music and singing make us feel good, signaling our bodies to release endorphins which stimulate our brains. These endorphins help us boost our memory, increase alertness, enhance motor skills and coordination, expand our imagination and express ourselves through language.
Songs and singing help lay the foundation for language development and other early literacy skills. Songs help children break words into syllables, or smaller units of sound. This supports phonological awareness, the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words. Songs and music create a natural bridge to learning how to read!
Try these activities and recordings with your child:
- Sing rhymes with your child throughout the day, repeating the verses often. Your local library recommends: Circle Time. Lisa Monet ; Where Is Thumbkin? Kimbo Educational; Counting Games and Rhymes for the Little Ones. Ella Jenkins.
- Encourage your child to make up his own words or sounds to a common melody and even join in with rhythm and sound.
- Make music a part of the bedtime routine; a lullaby helps create security and peace. Your local library recommends: Lullaby Land (Linda Arnold); Lullabies for Little Dreamers (Kevin Roth); Lullaby: A Collection. MFLP.
- Play classical music at home or in the car for a calming and relaxing effect. You local library recommends: Baby Einstein; Classical Child at the Opera.
- Let songs and music help you transition from one activity to another. Your local library recommends: One Light, One Sun. Baby Beluga. Raffi ; Rhythm in my Shoes. Jessica Harper; Action Songs for Preschoolers, Georgianna Stewart.