Is Music Good for Children?
Music is magical! We all know that. Whether a rocking rebel, dance devotee or folk fanatic, we all thrive on the sensation of song. But just how important can it be? Is music good for children? What can our kiddie composers learn from a world of healing harmony? Join Jaques of London, as we pick up the mic, turn on the jukebox and prepare to give praise to the karaoke kings. How can music help children develop? Let’s press play and find out, as we guide you through why music is so important for early childhood development.
Keep your ears open until the end of our blog, for details on how you could win in our joyful Jazz Day Competition on April 30th.
How Music Helps Child Development
Cooperative Composing
Whether a dribbling duet or children’s choir, music provides children with a wonderful opportunity to discover the joys of collaboration. Where would Simon be without Garfunkel? Ant without Dec? Milli without Vanilli? Little lead singers need not compete for top spot. The right toddler track is ideal for teaching children to take turns during interactive play with others.
Inspire to Play
One of the greatest benefits of music for children is to inspire them to discover more about the amazing world of musical instruments. Tune touting toddlers may have to wait to master the harp, but instruments such as the xylophone and piano can provide the youngest yodellers an enlivening interaction with sound. ClassicFM found that 9 in 10 children will want to learn a musical instrument at some point, and the Jaques of London Kids Xylophone is an incredible sensory experience for beginner Beethovens. As with any perfectly tuned musical toy for children, xylophones provide instant feedback during interaction. This makes for the perfect Montessori toy. By combining audible feedback with colour and shape variety, early experimenters will quickly develop confidence and the desire to explore even more about the magic of music.
A Composition of Comfort
One of the earliest experiences our children have are the hopefully soothing melodies sung by loving parents and guardians. This creates a bond with children and forms a solid basis for feelings of comfort, security and voice recognition. Soft lullabies and melodic fairy-tales come in many languages and tones. Our familiarity with sound infuses a sense of belonging. Sound is one of the key senses in developing strong memories. So, for happy and vibrant vocalists, let the music play.
Song Schooling
Whether singing sums, crooning colours, warbling words or serenading shapes, music is a wonderful tool for children looking to make academic advances through the joys of song. Nature Neuroscience found that students produced better grades following participation in musical education courses. Sound patterns formed through early experiences with music can set the first stages of a journey into phonics. Phonics has become the world’s most popular method of teaching children to read. Through audible association, children begin to decode words by sounding them out. Singing enables children to do this in a fun and playful environment. Better still, the sounds we most commonly use in language will occur naturally throughout your child’s favourite ditties. For tuneful teaching, look no further than musical machinations to help your child develop speech to challenge any Rap God.
Musical Motor Skills
The best toddler tunes are certain to make their way to the top of the charts with a tightly choreographed dance number as accompaniment. Clapping, dancing and tapping their way through songs, mini musicians are introduced to a wide variety of connected movements when the beat drops. Fine ands gross motor skills are fine-tuned during this stage, so why not encourage your children to come up with their own dance moves - just make sure that you know all the steps when the show begins.
Nothing develops confidence quite like the freedom of creative expression. The best musical toys for toddlers provide many opportunities for experimentation. Our own Musical Bench for Toddlers serenades motor skills. So, for your all singing, all dancing route to physical development, Jaques are here to help teach the world to sing.
A Soothing Sleep
One of the greatest benefits of baby beats (tired parents are sure to agree), is that music is the perfect way to sooth struggling sleepers into the land of dreams. The ongoing benefits of music for children is that a good night’s sleep means they are well rested, attentive, better behaved and demonstrate greater intellectual and emotional confidence. In fact, the Iowa School of Music found that children who took part in music courses were less likely to have discipline issues with other classmates. Just make sure that night-time noises mean sweet lullabies, rather than hair-raising heavy metal.
So, why is Music good for children? Whether listening, interacting or playing, music has a host of benefits for kids, ones that are sure to reverberate in their ears for years to come.
For great musical and educational resources, why not sing a ditty as you check out our song-tastic Mini Minds Hub – The perfect studio of sound to discover even more about the amazing way music can bring the gift of song into your child’s life.
For your chance to put chorusing competition to the test, pay a visit to the Jaques of London Instagram account on April 30th, as we celebrate complex composition, with our International Jazz Day competition.