If you are the type to make New Year’s Resolutions (or even if you’re not), consider the goal of becoming a more musical family in 2020. Research shows that music learning supports your child’s overall development in key areas such as language, cognitive, social-emotional, and even self-confidence. But actively participating in music-making has benefits for grown-ups too. In fact, music is one of the few activities that lights up almost every part of the brain! In this article, Tanya Li Roth, owner and director of HalfSteps music school, tells us simple ways to add more music into our lives, and how it benefits everyone in the family.
You don’t have to think of yourself as a “musician” to raise a musical child. Children learn the most from the modeling of their loved ones – seeing you be musical is the ultimate inspiration. And they learn through play (not “practice”), so the most important thing is to have fun. Here are some simple ways you can support your child’s musical development, regardless of your own experience.
1. Sing lullabies
With the advent of devices like Amazon echo, it’s so easy to just tell Alexa to “play lullabies.” But it’s YOUR voice that your child wants to hear! As early as 19 weeks gestation, your baby can hear and respond to sounds it hears in the womb, especially your voice. And don’t worry, even if you don’t sing in tune, your baby thinks your voice is beautiful. Research shows that it is more important to your child’s musical development that they see and hear you participating in and enjoying musical activity than it is that your are musically adept. A bonus for you is that singing lullabies to your little one can actually decrease your own cortisol, or stress hormone, levels and increase your endorphin levels by up to 22 minutes AFTER you have stopped singing! Try singing a lullaby you remember from your own childhood—or even sing your favorite rock song at a slower tempo to share your own musical tastes with your child.
2. Sing at storytime
So, your little one has asked you to read Brown Bear, Brown Bear for the umpteenth time this week? Repetition is important, but you can also change it up a bit. Try putting it to a tune, like “Twinkle, Twinkle.” Not only does it break up the monotony for you, but it can also encourage him to sing along with you, which helps with early literacy skills. You can also introduce books that have built-in songs, like many of the books in the Pete the Cat series, by James Dean and many of Sandra Boynton’s board books.
3. Make up silly songs about everyday tasks
Sometimes toddlers can forget about their stubbornness if you make things fun. The next time she refuses to get out of the bathtub, try singing a goodnight song to all the bath toys, then sing about drying off and brushing teeth. Throw in silly sounds to make her laugh, and you just might have tamed the uncooperative beast! If you incorporate the same songs into your daily routine, it can go a long way in helping your child transition into the next task, as she will be able to anticipate and mentally prepare for what’s coming next.
4. Follow your baby’s lead
When you hear your baby cooing and babbling, repeat his sounds back to him. Try to not only match his “words”, but also his pitch and volume. This mirroring reinforces his behavior and shows encouragement. It also works for babies and toddlers when they engage in music. Whether he is sustaining a single sound, moving his body with the music, or picking up part of a song, join in! But also know there may be times when he wants to experiment on his own, so be aware of his signals.
5. Exaggerate your mouth movements when you sing
Phonemes are the individual sounds in a word. When you overly enunciate each word as you sing a song, it helps your little one see and hear the pronunciation of the words more clearly. The ability to recognize phonemes is called “phonemic awareness” and is crucial when learning how to talk as well as to read and spell later on.
6. Leave out some words
When your child becomes very familiar with certain songs, try leaving out the ends of the phrases when you sing them (e.g., “Twinkle, twinkle, little ___”). Those tend to be the first parts of the song that children learn. If she doesn’t hear you singing the words, your child may just jump in and fill in the blanks herself!
7. Join a music class
Early childhood music classes can be a wonderful source of inspiration, fun and community. If the songs and activities are age appropriate and the teacher is knowledgeable, a class can provide a rich learning environment for your musical family to grow together. At HalfSteps, we offer a variety of ways to experience music-making: Mixed Age Music Together® classes for children ages 0-5, Babies Only classes for infants from newborn to 8 months, and Spanish immersion classes for ages 0-6 called Canta y Baila Conmigo®.
8. Provide a variety of musical experiences
Many studies have shown that live music has health benefits that recorded music does not. So take your child to concerts and festivals, and make your own music at home. The Sarasota Youth Orchestra is an exceptional music program that performs free concerts throughout the year. It’s a wonderful way to introduce your little ones to classical music. You can help them become active listeners by gently tapping their back or bouncing them on your knee to the beat while the orchestra is playing. Keep a basket of child-friendly instruments handy for family jam sessions at home. Drum on plastic tubs or pots and pans, or make shakers out of empty water bottles filled with rice. Listen to fast songs, slow songs, and music from around the world.
When you provide your child ample opportunities to develop his musical abilities, you help him develop confidence and self-esteem. He will not be embarrassed to sing “Happy Birthday,” and he will be much more successful at learning an instrument at school. He will have an early start at literacy and math skills.
Perhaps most importantly, music-making promotes family bonding, happiness, and wellness. Even if the memories fade, the positive feelings associated with music will live on.
Tanya Li Roth is the owner and director of HalfSteps, which is dedicated to helping children grow into their best selves. HalfSteps offers the internationally-renowned Music Together® program, as well as Canta y Baila Conmigo®, a Spanish-immersion music and movement program. The winter semester begins January 5, and families are welcome to sign up to try a class for free. All babies under 4 months old attend for free until their 16-week birthday. Classes are held in Lakewood Ranch, West Bradenton and Ellenton.
