SALT LAKE CITY – If little Emma had to choose her favorite gift for her first birthday, it would definitely be a new set of musical instruments.
“My daughter realized that when kids hit each other and hit things, they make sounds, and she thought, ‘Oh, this is really fun!'” said her mother, Brenda Yang. spoke.
Ms. Yang said she enjoys watching young children create their own music.
“She loves learning and discovering the cause and effect of everything,” Yang said. “It’s actually everything she touches and makes noises in response to it. It’s kind of exciting to watch.”
Having children listen to music during the early stages of development is about more than just entertainment. Music can help teach counting, language, and even reading.
Experts say the connections your kids make while listening to their favorite songs will set them up for future success.
“When you’re playing music, your brain is active,” says Stephanie Anderson, executive director of Everyday Learners of the United Way of Utah County.
That brain activity is to teach language.
“As toddlers, they start actually saying the word and the sounds that make up the word,” Anderson says.
Learning how musical notes represent sounds also helps teach the same information processing that is used to learn reading, writing, and counting.
“When kids hear beats, hear different tempos, hear different instruments, it really promotes brain development,” she said.
That’s why Anderson encourages parents to incorporate music into daily activities.
“Create a bedtime song, even if it means going to sleep,” she says, with lyrics like “Put away your shoes, brush your teeth.”
Anderson said songs like this can help with memorization.
That’s what we saw when Jan was singing “Happy Song” with Emma. “She immediately stops and you can see she’s like, wait, I know that, I recognize that.”
Knowing its benefits, she hopes music will continue to be a big part of young Emma’s life.
“I just hope it continues and that she continues to love learning and discovering the world that way,” she said.
For more ideas and resources on how to incorporate music into your child’s daily life, visit 5B45kids.com.
