By Kathy Morrison, Director
Singing is a part of our daily life, especially if you are parents of young children.
There are many reasons we sing with our children:
- We sing because it makes us happy! We love the smile that lights up our child’s face when they hear their favorite song.
- We sing as a way to play with our child. Nursery rhymes are timeless when it comes to play!
- We sing to communicate how we feel. When we sing a lullaby to our children, we are communicating love and a sense of security. When we sing together in the car or during bath time, we are sharing how much we enjoy being with them.
This is all good news because research tells us that singing with your child or even to your child sparks the brain for learning!
Singing Helps to Develop Language Skills
Singing helps even the youngest child with early language development. When you sing a song, “it requires a child to listen for 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 and phonemes.”
Singing traditional lullabies and nursery rhymes to babies and infants before they learn to speak, is “an essential precursor to later educational success and emotional wellbeing” according to Sally Goddard Blythe. “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.” Blythe says in her book, The Genius of Natural Childhood. Read more in this article.
Singing Engages Both Sides of the Brain
Blythe also claims that listening to, and singing along with rhymes and songs uses and develops both sides of the brain. “Neuro-imaging has shown that music involves more than just centralised hotspots in the brain, occupying large swathes on both sides,” she said.
When we coordinate and connect both sides of the brain, strong neuropathways are created. This makes our ability to focus and recall information easier.
Singing Invites Reciprocal Communication
Blythe goes on to say that “Children’s response to live music is different from recorded music,” she said. “Babies are particularly responsive when the music comes directly from the parent. Singing along with a parent is for the development of reciprocal communication.”
Did you know that the ideal way for your child to learn to sing is through acapella singing that uses a light head voice?
We invite you to take time to sing without a recording. Turn off the radio and just sing with your child. We can help with that!
Resources for Parents
At Kathy’s Music, we created 2 playlists of songs for parents to use at home.
For parents of babies, you’ll find 5 favorite songs also knows as “I Love You” Rituals. These sweet songs are just a few of our favorite songs to sing with your little one. As you spend time together singing, look for your child’s response – that reciprocal communication – in the form of a smile or his eyes lighting up or her little feet wiggling with joy.
View the playlist here>>
For parents of toddlers, we put together a set of our favorite “singable” songs. These songs and fingerplays invite your child to being using their own voice. Before you know it, your “Little Singer” will be singing them back to you! That’s a musical milestone to celebrate.
To learn more about the Singing-Language Connection, read this article from Kindermusik International.
To learn more about How Children Learn to Sing, read this article from Kindermusik International .