Singing a song or two (or 50!) a day to even the youngest child can help early language development. Hearing a parent or teacher sing a song requires a child to listen for the individual notes combined with their rhythmic values. In much the same way, early language development requires children to hear speech sounds and begin to divide them into individual sounds or phonemes.
Sally Goddard Blythe reiterates the importance of singing to young children for early language development in her book, The Genius of Natural Childhood. In an article published in The Guardian, Blythe said: “Song is a special type of speech. Lullabies, songs and rhymes of every culture carry the ‘signature’ melodies and inflections of a mother tongue, preparing a child’s ear, voice and brain for language.” In the same article, Blythe contends that singing to young children can help ward off later language development problems.
She goes on to say that “Children’s response to live music is different from recorded music. Babies are particularly responsive when the music comes directly from the parent. Singing along with a parent is for the development of reciprocal communication.”
You can read the entire article: Singing to Children May Help Development of Language Skills
Music classes support early language development
With more than 30 years of experience in using music as the vehicle for learning, we understand how to tap into the power of music to connect with children, families, and teachers around the world. In private studios, public schools, childcare centers, and at home, children, parents, and teachers enjoy participating in our fun, developmentally appropriate and research-based music education programs that support early language development, early literacy development, parent involvement in early childhood education, and more.