When you bring your child to their Las Vegas early childhood center, you want to make sure their experience is a good one. Preschool (aka childcare or daycare) can be a wonderful way to help your child grow and develop important skills. Although music is often thought of as an extra activity, music can have crucial benefits in your preschooler’s life.
Music allows children to learn new things. Many of us still use the familiar alphabet song to help us remember alphabetical order, because of how entrenched it is in our memories. Other songs like the Hokey Pokey help children learn the names of body parts, and how to follow simple instructions.
Movement supports learning
Movement is another important aspect of music. Movement helps keep children engaged and helps them to remember the song. Music and movement are a perfect combination that inspires children to play and have fun as well as learn.
Even if your child is not quite ready for speech, they can still participate in songs that include movement. They might not be able to sing the Hokey Pokey song, but they can put their hand in and take it out. This not only helps a younger child develop language but allows them to participate even if they’re not ready for speech.
A fun activity that many children love regardless of age is the “Lion Hunt” song. In this song, children go through tall grass, mud, sticks, and other barriers. This song helps children learn important descriptive words such as over, under, around and through while they imagine an exciting lion hunt.
Music may accelerate brain development
Music is an important part of our lives, but it could be critical for preschool age children. A 2016 study showed that children who learned how to play an instrument at a young age had accelerated brain development compared to children who didn’t.
The children in the study were compared to a group of children who played soccer at a young age, and those who weren’t in any special program. The children in the musical group showed more development in the auditory part of the brain, as well as more neural plasticity.
We all want our children to have an edge over their peers, and introducing them to the joys of music could well be one way to do it.
How your Preschool can help
A quality childcare facility should approach their class with a ‘whole child’ approach. This means that music should be a frequent part of their program. Great examples of music in daycare include sing-a-longs, teaching through music, or simply playing enjoyable songs.
If you’re not musically inclined yourself or would rather not inspire your child with a drum set at home, preschool can be the perfect place to unleash their musical creativity.
If you want to give your children the potential benefits of music, check that your local preschool provides music as part of their classroom education. Music is a powerful tool in your child’s education, and can benefit your child in a variety of ways.
