Six ways music helps children learn
From singing to your baby bump to nursery rhymes, lullabies and beyond, many of us naturally start sharing music with children from their very earliest days, but did you know that being exposed to music when you’re very young can actually have a huge impact on how your brain develops?
1. Learning about language
Early exposure to music plays a crucial role in ‘wiring’ your baby’s brain for learning. Hearing songs teaches babies how language is put together – when you sing, words and phrases are slowed down, and the structure of them is easier to follow.
2. Baby’s first vocabulary list
Singing together regularly helps babies build a vocabulary of sounds and words long before they can actually understand them. Copying actions like clapping and hearing repeated lyrics also helps develop the ability to observe and mimic what’s going on – a key skill for learning. Try listening and singing to our Nursery Rhymes playlist with your baby.
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3. Encouraging self-expression
Letting older babies make a noise with an ‘instrument’ (even just a saucepan and spoon) encourages them to express themselves, and gives them a way to communicate their feelings before they can talk. Why not make a simple bottle shaker or microphone to use with your little one?Ìý
4. From rhymes to reading
Toddlers love rhymes – and they’re not just for fun. Rhymes teach children how particular words sound, and how changing a letter makes a new word (such as ‘moo’ and ‘boo’). This knowledge will help them when they begin to learn about letters and sounds for reading. If your child is ready to read, you can explore letter sounds together with AlphablocksÌýor share a story from the Storytime app.
5. Routines and reminders
Rhymes and songs are a great way to help children remember everyday routines such as brushing teeth or getting ready for nursery. Try listening to Tee and Mo’s songs about getting ready to go out, tidying up and going to sleep together.
6. Beat this
Keeping time to a beat introduces the idea of rhythm and pattern, which helps to develop children’s reasoning and problem-solving skills. Make a bongo drumÌýor rainbow shakerÌýand get your little one to play along with some of their favourite songs.
