Did you know, music is the only activity the uses every single part of the brain?! Therefore, music is a important tool to have in our lives and in early childhood education and development! Music enhances all areas of development and has a powerful impact on the brain.
During the first year of life, rhythm is the element of music that has the greatest affect. The human brain is innately responsive to highly rhythmic music and the only mammal that will tap its toes because of automatic tendency. On top of rhythm, shaking the body stimulates lymphatic system which relies on physical activity to move fluid that removes harmful toxins. While singing makes vibrations through your body altering your physical and emotional landscape.
FUN FACTS:
Playing a musical instrument reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s or Dementia by 69%
People who dance once a week reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s or Dementia by 79%
Here are some tips on ways to add in more music to your daily routine at home:
- Clean up time is a great time to add in a little extra music. Ask children to clean up while music is playing and to freeze when music stops. Repeat this activity during cleanup time and count how many times it takes to clean/stop before the children have finished cleaning up.
- Have children paint while listening to fast and slow songs and compare how they may paint differently depending on the music.
- Ask children to think about how the music makes them feel and have them draw how they feel or think.
- Have a dance party! Children may explore and create their own movements and dances to different songs. They also may create their own words to a particular song of their own
Overall, young children benefit from listening to instrumental music because it allows them to concentrate on the musical characteristics of a piece without being distracted by the words. We love adding in music throughout our daily routines at The Learning Tree and would love to hear some ways that you incorporate music at home.