Sit back and think of the first song, melody or rhyme you remember hearing. Maybe it’s a lullaby sung to you at bedtime? Maybe it’s the “down and around, then a line” song you sang while learning to write the number 5? Maybe it was simply singing your ABC’s? Whatever the memory may be, the bottom line is that there is one! Based on scientific research posted on www.babycenter.com, children begin remembering as early as 24 months. Furthermore, children’s brains recognize patterns even earlier, making the repetitious melodies and rhythms of developmentally appropriate children’s tunes appealing to rapidly developing brains. What better way to engage a child than by providing a simple experience that is developmentally geared for their understanding! Simply singing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” supports brain development and best of all, children really enjoy it.
In addition to the fact that young children like music activities, a variety of cognitive benefits can be provided as well. According to Early Childhood Music and Movement specialist Rae Pica, music activities help children develop attention span and memory while also increasing their vocabulary skills. In her article “Make a Little Music,” published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s magazine Teaching Young Children in 2009, a child who learns to sing a rhyme such as “This Old Man” has learned to focus on a task, sequence events, use rote counting and link words with physical actions. So, from one 60 second song sung with your child or a group of your students, you’ve shared so many learning and playful experiences for them to treasure and remember.
Continue reading
Follow Melissa Behring
Follow Melissa Behring