When each of my three daughters were babies, I would sing them to sleep, sing while changing diapers, sing in the car - almost any time of day, there was time for singing or music playing in our home. As soon as they could talk, they would start trying to sing along, or bouncing and clapping with the music. I will never forget the time I was bathing my then 18-month old daughter Emma, and as she was splashing with her toys, began singing “Twinkle, Twinkle," by herself, perfectly in tune. It was a proud mom moment, to be sure, but it also proved that, just like language acquisition, music was learned through repeated exposure in everyday life.
How does music play a role in your child’s development? Many parents think that because they may not be “good” singers, they should not sing to their children. They think that by singing off-pitch or off-beat, they will be harming their child’s musical potential. This could not be further from the truth! Singing to your child enhances your bond with them and enables you to emotionally communicate. Singing simple nursery rhymes or lullabies teaches your child the rhythm and flow of language, which will enhance their future reading development.
Listening to instrumental music and playing instruments also plays a role in your child’s development. It helps a child’s mathematical and spatial-temporal reasoning, which are vital for solving multi-step problems in math, engineering and computer science. Children who study music are better able to focus, with an increased ability to isolate important sounds in a room with a lot of noise, such as the teacher’s voice. Music study has a positive correlation to higher grades and test scores, too.
In music classes at Hillel, your child receives more purposeful opportunities to explore their voice and use movement to feel musical elements, such as beat, flow, and tempo. Our music classes include singing, movement and playing a variety of instruments to develop your child’s musicianship. The music faculty at Hillel believe that all children can be musicians, even if it is just to enjoy listening to music. In turn, these skills will positively carry over into all of your child’s academic and emotional lives.
Not every child will become a professional musician, but by having basic musicianship skills, your child can eventually sing or play in an ensemble or simply enjoy listening to music for its social and emotional benefits. And maybe they will be just a little smarter, too!
