Introduce Your Kids To Music

MUSIC TO YOUR LITTLE ONE’S EARS

Singing is good for you and your child

 

Do you sing songs with your child? Sadly it seems more and more children are missing out on the benefits of singing at home with their parents and carers.

Music is not only enjoyable, extensive research shows that exposing young children to music and singing stimulates their intelligence and emotional development.

Young children love music; and songs not only soothe them or make them laugh, they are also a fun way to learn. Playing songs and encouraging your child to sing along can develop their vocabulary, increase their confidence and give them a great head start when they begin full-time education. Recent research byYouth Music, the UK’s largest children’s music charity, shows that enjoying music together and singing songs can help to develop communication, concentration and social skills in under 5s.

Joining in with songs helps build a child’s self-expression, creativity and confidence. Picking up the basics of rhythm, tempo and pitch will help to develop their musicality too.

 

Tune in to your toddler with these tips

 

• Introduce your child to a wide variety of songs to build their knowledge of words. Let them listen to all kinds of songs and see what they like best. Don’t just restrict them to nursery rhymes, try folk and pop, but make sure the words are appropriate.


• Teach your child short, but fun songs – getting them to learn some simple, repetitive lyrics will develop their listening and concentration skills.  


• Use songs to help calm your baby or get your toddler to relax for naptime.


• If your chid is sleepy in the morning play a cheery song to make them want to get moving.


• Children love routine and making songs part of routines makes activities fun. Songs are a great way to help children prepare for transitions from one activity to another, such as tidying up and putting their things away.


• Sing together while doing chores or driving somewhere in the car. It’s a good way to build your child’s self esteem especially if you let them choose their favourite songs.


• Remember to praise your child after you have both been singing and this will help boost their confidence.


• Why not learn songs together and have a family sing-a-long?

 

Interested in finding out more?

 

Youth Music, the UK’s largest children’s music charity, believes that singing has the power to change lives. ( http://www.youthmusic.org.uk)

 

Find some new modern songs for kids. You can hear sample tracks from Let’s Sing! the brand new CD of original children’s songs at:

http://www.childrensongs.org.uk

 

The Department for Children, Schools and Families have launched ‘Tune In – Year of Music’ to spread the message that music should be an important factor in children’s lives because it can inspire creativity, encourage motivation and build life skills. (http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/tunein/campaign.shtml)

 

Find lots of ways to motivate your child with music at the BBC Parents’ Music Room (http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/parents/yourchild/18mnths_3years/action_songs.shtml)

Introduce Your Kids To Music