Music is an everyday part of our lives. It surrounds us in our sounds, from birds chirping to the wind blowing. With our own children we may sing and rock our infant to sleep or put on lullaby music to sooth them. As parents we introduce music to children at a very young age. It really starts in the womb between 25 and 26 weeks. This is when a child may respond to music. The mother may feel a kick or movement to singing or sounds outside the womb.

In certain cultures, there are songs that are specifically called Birth songs. The soon to be mother will sing the same song over and over to the child before he/she is born. Then, once the child is born this song is familiar and soothing to the child.

It’s important to expose young children to various types of music like classical, pop, jazz, country, and more to expand the child’s love of music.

In the classroom, music is used in many ways. We have musical instruments for the children to use with their hands. We sing to them and we sometimes isolate instruments like a drum or trumpet so the children can hear that instrument and know what it’s called. Later, they will be able to pick out the differences in music they hear. We sing in small groups and use finger plays to introduce music. We have a clean-up song to help the transition from cleaning up to group time. We even have a good-bye song most of you know and sing with us as well.

The greatest thing about music is that it can help in a child’s development. Music helps with the spoken word, phonetics, rhythm, movement, and it’s a great way to make connections with your children. So many times in my classroom I have two children who don’t talk yet but, will dance to music together. They smile and laugh. It’s a beautiful sight.

As a parent, you can sing or dance with your child and know what a great feeling it is, and what a great tool it can be to focus or calm a child. Music can bring excitement to your family and be shared in many ways. It’s a great way to introduce a different culture or your own culture into your child’s life. Music is the universal language. All the children in the world, no matter where they live, understand the power and language of music.

Sincerely,

Kristy