News Letter articles - issue 5

The Power of Music

In this newsletter, I feel moved to talk about the power of music and song in children’s lives. Last week I entertained 25 pre-school children for an hour, with puppets, songs and stories in a storytelling session at Bury St Edmunds library. I set the stories to a background of music because music is such a great way to engage young children. The children joined in the familiar songs, jumped to the African drum music and listened to a traditional aboriginal folk-tale while the sound of the didgeridoo played in the background. Indeed, their capacity to listen to the stories was helped by the stimulating and engaging music.


Music is a big part of a child's world. It is part of their everyday lives; in lullabies, children's songs, radio, television. Every mother understands that a child’s attention is engaged by music and song. Music and singing are a fun and effective way to help young children learn. Children learn to recite the alphabet by singing the ABCs. Educational television programs for young children use a lot of music. Children do not have to be able to read in order to learn a song. And because songs are filled with rhymes and patterns, they actually encourage language development. Singing favorite songs over and over again helps children become aware of sounds and the way we use them.


Evidence exists that listening to music can also help children learn to read, probably by increasing children’s awareness of speech sounds. If your child is learning to read, try having music with a slow constant beat in the background.


Music supports self-expression and creativity. Singing can definitely help to build a child's confidence and self-esteem. It can also increase their capacity for self expression; helping them to express their thoughts and feelings through music.


Pairing movement with music helps children develop motor skills and rhythmic co-ordination. Children should be encouraged to explore musical expression through dance.


Singing seems to promote good health in children, perhaps by easing stress and the physical damage that it can have upon the body. Music has a calming effect on children. Many parents will sing to their babies to soothe. Music can be used to change a child’s mood, and we often use it in the bedtime ritual, to signal the coming of a calm period.


Never be afraid to "sing song" to your child. There is a saying:

"If you can walk, you can dance. If you can talk, you can sing!"


Make up special melodies to signal the important daily rituals in the house. Wake up to bright music in the morning. Family meals could be a time when a little calming classical music is played in the background to promote family harmony. Play music in the car. A small radio-CD in your child's room encourages them to develop their own musical tastes through experimentation.


It is important that parents do not substitute playing and singing rhymes for the easier option of placing them in front of computers or DVDs. Commonly, as children get older, parents spend more time talking to them and less time singing. Perhaps parents should not only continue to sing themselves, but also encourage young children to sing as well as to speak; encouraging singing as much as we encourage language. In this way we can help each individual develop to her or his fullest potential.


Sharri