Music is a powerful teaching tool that can ignite a young child’s brain in extraordinary ways. When we engage children with music, we’re stimulating multiple areas of their brains, creating a fireworks display of neural activity.
Music lights up different parts of the brain, helping kids hear sounds, move their bodies, feel emotions, and perform cognitive tasks. Music can enhance brain plasticity, which is the brain's ability to change and adapt in response to experiences. This increased plasticity can lead to improved learning and cognitive development in the early years.
Singing and moving to music
Integrating music into play throughout the early years has a positive impact on a child’s overall development. It can get children moving, thinking and inspire creativity. The rhythmic patterns and melodic structures of music can help children form stronger neural connections, leading to improved memory and recall.
Offering a variety of play based musical experiences in early education can boost a child’s brain development, including:
Singing simple songs and nursery rhymes.
Listening and moving to music of different genres.
Playing homemade and purchased musical instruments.
Children are supported to develop effective communication skills EYLF V2.0 Learning Outcome 5.2 when they ‘sing and chant rhymes, jingles and songs’. Music involves listening to and understanding different sounds and rhythms, which can support the development of phonological awareness, an important skill for language acquisition.
Elements of music
There are important elements of music educators can introduce to young children, helping them to listen and respond to sounds and patterns in music EYLF V2.0 Learning Outcome 5:
Beat – The steady pulse that runs throughout a piece of music.
Pitch – How high or low the sound is.
Tempo – How fast or slow the music is.
Rhythm – The pattern of the music; a combination of long and short sounds.
Playlist recommendations
Children’s band Tiptoe Giants create fun, contemporary and wholesome music, exposing children to a range of musical styles that develop how to think, feel and grow.
ABC Classic Kids introduces Australian made classical music to little ones. It provides an opportunity for children to learn about instrument sounds, develop their musical vocabulary, and explore the importance of listening.
Find out more
Download Learn Play Thrive podcast: Episode 5 and discover more from music therapist and member of Australian children’s band Tiptoe Giants, Vanessa Couper, about ways to make music part of everyday practice in early learning settings.
Download our Music: A Brain Booster For Kids Fact Sheet to share with your colleagues or families.
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