Whether they’re clapping to a nursery rhyme or dancing to a silly song, music provides an endless source of fun for kids. But exposure to this art form does much more than entertain children. It also plays a major role in early childhood learning. If you’re interested in helping your child develop and strengthen their skillsets, here’s why it pays to treat little ears to music early and often.

How Does Listening to Music Support Early Childhood Development?

Strengthens the Senses

While it may seem intuitive as an adult, learning how to recognize and interpret senses is a skill that people must develop in their early years.  As a whole, senses refer to how the body and brain work together to perceive different types of information—such as smell and taste.

When kids listen to music, their brains are busy processing all the melodies and tones that they hear. This activity helps create neural pathways that make it easier for little ones to understand and utilize their senses.

With better sensory perception, children can improve their fine and gross motor skills—such as using a crayon or touching their toes. Listening to music and dancing or moving can strengthen this result by engaging multiple senses at once.   

Improves Memorization Skills

Every time a young brain hears a song or melody, it will automatically figure out how to process different tones, volumes, and sounds. The more variety that a child is exposed to, the more information the brain has to receive and store. As a result, kids who listen to music will often experience heightened memorization skills.

In terms of early childhood learning, this enhanced memory can play a major role in helping kids develop musical, math, vocabulary, and literacy skills.

Promotes Balance & Coordination

When people move along to music, they tend to practice motions that correspond to the tempo and beat of the sounds. Actions as simple as clapping or dancing along with a song can help kids learn how to coordinate their movements to the music, and in turn, strengthen their mind-body connection. This enhanced awareness can help kids improve balance and flexibility.

When you want to foster your child’s development in a positive environment, consider enrollment at Northern Lights Preschool & Child Care in Anchorage, AK. Offering a wide range of early childhood learning programs—including “Music and Movement” activities—this licensed daycare makes it easy and fun for kids to master their senses and strengthen their minds. To learn more about how this preschool promotes all types of learning—including reading and math—visit their website. For questions about enrollment, call (907) 274-2040.