There are many ways in which your baby can enjoy music, but one of the most powerful yet most accessible ways is through the use of song and rhyme. Did you know that one of the most magical sounds for a young baby to hear is the sound of his mother’s voice? Research shows that Baby recognises his mother’s voice because it is familiar. The reason for this is that the auditory system is functional even whilst Baby is still in the womb – from around 20 weeks gestation in fact! The sound of a mother’s voice gives a young baby a feeling of security and if a mother sings to her baby this really is a very young baby’s first singing experience, as the ears can distinguish one sound from another at birth.

Below are a few ideas of how singing and chanting will help your child’s development and make great parenting easier.

Relaxing bedtime – Why not sing a relaxing lullaby to set the mood for bedtime and sleep? By singing bedtime lullabies daily you are not only soothing baby by singing relaxing sounds, you are also setting up a routine that Baby will become comfortable and familiar with, (bedtime follows lullaby).

Nappy changing – Avoid a battle on the nappy changing table by singing a favourite song of Baby’s, (one that really engages him!), and don’t forget to use an expressive face to maintain interest. Distraction is a very powerful tool at times like this!

Bonding with Baby – Bond with your baby by singing to him whilst maintaining good eye contact. A strong bond between parent and child is one of the most important factors in developing a child’s emotional foundation.

There are so many benefits to be achieved from singing with your baby. Why not let me know of some benefits that you have experienced for yourself?! I would love to hear about your experiences.

Hello and welcome to the second blog post where I will be sharing activities and some of the benefits of attending a regular music class or participating in some regular music making. I hope that these posts will inspire you to enjoy music with your child either at home, as part of a music class, or even as a combination of both!

Singing is a vital part of a child’s music education. Singing is accessible to all, regardless of ability or social background, and is the instrument that we are born with. It is important that the songs used for the early years are chosen with care and that they are suited to your child’s undeveloped voice. Songs for the early years should be child friendly and should use notes within a small range that will be accessible to a young child. They should also have a simple rhythm and words that are easy to articulate. To grab your child’s attention it is helpful to link the song to something they are interested in. For example, whilst singing the song, ‘Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear’, why not role play with a teddy bear, or perhaps follow up with a chat about toys? The song will be more meaningful to your little one if it is linked to their interests in some way.

Another way of making a song more meaningful to a child is to use games as a method of delivering the song. Children love to play and if singing can be combined with games and play it will be much more meaningful than by instruction alone. By playing musical games children are developing creativity, reasoning skills, spacial awareness, coordination, turn-taking, discipline, listening skills, memory and language skills. Singing games will enable your child to enter a magical world where they can create and imagine all kinds of characters and adventures that they can link to a specific singing or circle game. Musical games are also a great way for your child to make friends and to create a fun and friendly atmosphere.

Please do not worry if your child does not want to take part in the activity. Children learn so much just by being present for an activity or by hearing a song and simply observing. Children are all different, with some needing more time to settle than others. Eventually, when they are ready they will sing by their own choice and by letting them come around to it in their own time in an unpressured environment a much more enjoyable experience will be had by all.

I hope that you will enjoy sharing musical activities with your children at home as part of everyday life and even perhaps at a regular music class.

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Happy music making!

Are you looking for a weekly parent and toddler session that is educational and fun, aswell as providing you with some social time with other parents and a break from  the daily chores? Why not consider a baby, toddler or preschool music class based in your local area? Children love to sing and to move to music which makes music class time an enjoyable time for the whole family. Let me share some of the benefits of attending a music class.

Attending a music class helps to develop social skills and the forming of positive relationships. By seeing the same little friends each week, your young child will start to feel part of a group and will learn to interact with others and share the instruments and props. It will also provide the parent with some well earned social time too!

Singing songs and chanting rhymes will help to develop memory. How many song lyrics can you easily recall, but if asked to remember spoken sentences your mind goes blank?! When singing and chanting rhymes and songs the pronunciation of the words is emphasised and is clearer. In addition, it also tends to be slower than in normal speech. For these reasons the words can be easily imitated by young children and clearly understood.

Developing the ability to imitate some words from a chant or to sing back part of a song from class can be a huge boost to a childs self esteem. That feeling of achievement and satisfaction will develop hand in hand with a growing confidence and an ‘I can do this’ attitude which is wonderful to see.

There are many more benefits to be gained from regular musical activity that I will share with you next time.

Happy music making!

This guest blog post by Sabrina Peña Young was originally published on my previous Play On Education website on March 1, 2011.

Sabrina Peña Young is a celebrated avant-garde composer and video artist with a wide-ranging background in music education. She recently became a mother, adding a wonderful new dimension to her enjoyment of music…

My toddler has loved music since the womb. As the lucky daughter of a composer, my baby girl has listened to everything from experimental electronic music to Tchaikovsky to opera to the Dave Matthews Band. Even before her Halloween birth, my opinionated offspring kicked my ribs angrily when daddy put on Metallica or mommy jammed too loudly on the drum set at church seven months into pregnancy. It’s no wonder that today her favorite activities involve singing “dadada” into a Lego Rock Band microphone, jamming on every drum in sight, and plucking spastic melodies on my old Yamaha keyboard.

Music fills our lives from morning until night. Celtic music, silly tunes from Patch the Pirate, tropical salsa, and contemporary classical from Philip Glass play continuously from iTunes. Our living room has a dozen instruments for my toddler to play, like a kid-size djembe, preschool xylophone, maracas, and a busted electric guitar I found at a thrift store. Mondays we enjoy a Mommy & Me music class and Tuesdays a local church hosts  a morning of storytime, music, and art. Each night baby Eva falls asleep to Mozart and Bach playing quietly in the background.

You don’t have to be a musician to add a touch of music to your children’s lives. Loving music is natural for kids. They love to bop, hop, and stomp around the living room to every musical style. Kids’ nondiscriminatory musical tastes enjoy everything from reggae to polka to symphonies equally. Plug in your iPod or hit play on an internet radio station like Stumbleaudio or Pandoa and enjoy boogying with your child. Download free lullabies for your baby from EasyEarTraining.com.  Fill a cardboard box with noisemakers like whistles, homemade maracas, old instruments, and sticks and stage an imaginary parade for the neighborhood. Enroll in a fun music class or sign up your child for beginner piano lessons or Suzuki violin classes. Older children can enjoy a kid-friendly performance of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet or an outdoor jazz festival.

If you would like to check out some more fun ways to add music to your child’s life, you can check out my Music & Life series from Easy Ear Training. There are even specific articles for expectant moms, the special needs child, and lullabies. It’s a fun series, and I hope you’ll enjoy taking a look.

Well, I have to run. With a toddler, mommy’s composing time is scarce, and I have an opera to write! It was great sharing with you. I hope you and your children have the opportunity to enjoy a little bit of music in your life today!

Musically Yours,

Sabrina Peña Young

(Mami Mozart)

It’s been a busy time over at Play On Education and there are a number of collaborations with other businesses in the pipeline – watch this space! I’ve been a little quiet on my blog recently, but wanted to point all my readers in the direction of the wonderful ‘I’m a Baby’ site, a great new site for pregnant women and new mothers.

I was invited by Louise and Joanne to write a guest post on their new I’m a Baby site. I believe that everyone is born with a level of musical potential, so I jumped at the chance to write a post that may help to stimulate some musical activity in the home. Singing is a perfect activity to share with a new baby or toddler. It is accessible to all, (no props or instruments required!), and doesn’t cost a penny! Take a look at the post for information and ideas for ‘Singing To Your Baby’

There are so many benefits to be achieved from singing with your baby. Why not let me know of some benefits that you have experienced for yourself over on the Play On Education Facebook page or by leaving a comment on this blog post?! I would love to hear about your experiences.

BABY, TODDLER & PRESCHOOL MUSIC CLASSES

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Come along for musical fun and learning! 30 minute classes held weekly during term time.

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