The benefit of music for children

Music makes kids smarter
A 10-year study by UCLA professor Dr James Catterall tracked 25,000 students and found those involved in music generally scored higher in standardised academic tests than those who had no music involvement.


When you think back to the way you communicated with your newborn baby, chances are you used song or music to a certain degree. Whether it’s soothing them to sleep with a soft lullaby or cooing to them in a sing-song voice, most parents use music to communicate from the very early days.

As your child grows older, music as a primary source of communication tends to take a bit of a back seat. The sing-song conversations of the baby days are replaced with normal daily chatter and nursery rhymes and lullabies are soon substituted with games and activities.

But there are very good reasons to bring music and lyrics back into your toddler’s or preschooler’s day. For starters, research has repeatedly shown music plays an integral part in brain development, opening up the pathways that are so important for learning and development. To top it off, music can make littlies feel happy and soothed.

“The benefits are countless and research has definitively shown it can help children become brighter later on in life,” says early childhood expert and licensed Kindermusik educator Merrin Bradbury.

So what are you waiting for?

Here are some ideas to help get your toddler in the groove.

Sing it, sister!
The easiest way to introduce music to your child’s world is to sing to her. Engage her with eye contact and a melodic voice that constantly changes in pitch, volume and tempo.

Swing into action
Build on basic nursery rhymes by introducing actions such as clapping, finger clicking, peek-a-boo and touching different body parts. Classic action rhymes include Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Incy Wincy Spider, and The Wheels on the Bus. “By combining different senses such as visual actions, song and touch you are giving your toddler a well-rounded sensory experience which is so important in opening those pathways that lead to the development of language, maths skills and ability to reason, to name just a few,” Merrin says.

DIY music
Wooden spoons, pots and pans, plastic containers and plastic bottles filled with rice make great homemade instruments. “Rhythm and beat is so important for a child,” Merrin says. “Understanding these timing concepts will help in developing language and reading, which are both so dependent on rhythm.”

Roll up, roll up!
There are a number of music-based classes for babies to preschoolers and beyond. The most popular is probably Gymbaroo, which has a strong musical element. In her last book Smart Start (Exisle Publishing, rrp $29.99) Gymbaroo founder Margaret Sassé said: “Just as food nourishes an infant’s growing body, so the elements of music, melody, tone and harmony nourish his rapidly developing brain.” Gymbaroo classes start with babies aged from 6 weeks. Visit www.gymbaroo.com.au.

Start a world tour
“Respect your child’s likes and dislikes but try to stretch their limits or boundaries by varying their musical palette,” advises Musica Viva CEO Mary Jo Capps, whose company is the world’s largest presenter of ensemble music. “Imagine the different feeling they’d get from listening to the beat of African drumming, the rhythm of Latin music or soothing classical music.”

Routine exposure
Exposing your child to music does not have to be a formal session every time. Try turning the TV off and having background music on while your child plays, eats, bathes or even rests.

Music in the car can also be a great way to keep littlies entertained or soothed. Turn a boring car ride into an interactive experience by singing along with the music.

Make it up as you go along
Making up songs and rhymes about familiar things is a great game to play with preschoolers according to Dr Peter Whiteman, lecturer in creative arts at Macquarie University’s Institute of Early Childhood. “If you are putting together your shopping list, make up a silly song about it, if you’re packing up the toys, sing about it, if you’re going to visit friends, make up a song about them.” He says this helps expand children’s language skills and promotes a positive, informal association with music.

Put on your dancing shoes
Kids love dancing with mum or dad! Hold non-walkers in your arms, maintain eye contact, smile and sing as you sway and bounce. Encourage older children who are steady on their feet to move to the music in whichever way they want. You can also get them to follow simple steps that play on the beat, rhythm and melody of the song.

It’s show time…
Local theatres, community centres and schools often hold live musical performances geared towards toddlers and preschoolers, ranging from Wiggles concerts to Babies Proms (which expose littlies to orchestral music). Keep your eyes on your local paper to see what’s coming to your area.

Learning a musical instrument
Generally speaking, a child will be capable of formal music lessons once they have some reading skills at around 5 years old. “Learning to play a musical instrument and read music is a combined skill, and it will have little productive outcome in terms of skill if you start them earlier,” says Musica Viva’s Mary Jo Capps. “That’s not to say they can’t create and appreciate music from a very early age using their voice, body and informal instruments.”