Young children love sound! They enjoy making sounds and hearing them. Music can be soothing and comforting to young children. (Remember how babies love lullabies!) Including music in your program builds an appreciation of this art form and serves as a way to help with listening, language, and coordination skills. Music is a great way to regularly signal a transition form one activity to another.
Playing with musical instruments allows children to explore cause and effect (if I press the keys, they make a sound). It also helps them to focus on the difference in sound (these keys have a deeper sound than those). You may even consider inviting a guest to visit your classroom and play and instrument and explain it to the children.
Finger plays (songs with accompanying finger movements) enhance finger control, which children need for writing and handling small objects.
Music can help children to feel and learn about emotions. When you listen to classical music you might talk about how it sounds scary, sad or happy. You might listen to cultural rhymes and talk about how they help people feel a sense of community.
Learning the lyrics to songs is a particularly effective way to enhance language. Have you noticed how you can remember the words to old favorites. Children’s brains, like yours, retain poetry better when it is used lyrically.
Music and dance are fun and help children be playful with their friends and teachers. Let parents know if they have music favorites at home to bring them in and you can share them with all the children! So let’s go make some music.
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