Benefits of Music in Early Childhood

At My Place, music and movement are key components of our classroom environments. Aside from being fun, music has cognitive benefits for young children, such as helping them to express their emotions.

Here are some other ways music is beneficial for young children.

Music helps develop literacy skills

According to studies performed in the 1990s, “exposure to music from early childhood onwards helps children to speak more clearly [and] develop a larger vocabulary.” In addition, listening to and singing along to songs can lead to improvement in a child’s understanding of language.

Music teaches your child basic math skills

Music is one way your young child can develop the building blocks of math skills, such as pattern creation. Even the most simple song features repeating patterns, time, and rhythm. Children can also create their own patterns when they perform a song themselves with instruments.

Music can increase your child’s brain activity

According to Dr. Eric Rasmussen, chair of the Early Childhood Music Department at the Peabody Preparatory of The Johns Hopkins University, “There’s some good neuroscience research that children involved in music have larger growth of neural activity than people not in music training.”

Music and movement help with physical development

Dancing to music is a joyful activity that every child loves to do, but it also helps to develop physical skills such as agility, balance, and overall coordination. Also, playing a musical instrument helps your young child build their hand-eye coordination, and gross and small motor skills.

Every parent can help their child gain exposure to music. Whether or not you are musical yourself, you can encourage your child to sing, dance, and listen to music regularly. It will have many benefits in your child’s life, including developing gross and small motor skills, expressing emotions, and improving balance and coordination.