Why Music, Especially Singing, Is So Valuable in Early Child Development

Singing Nursery Rhymes Benefits Speech and Language Development in Young Children

Did you know that singing, especially nursery rhymes, is a language of love for your baby? Literally. Researchers say that singing enhances your child’s holistic early development including speech, language, literacy and emotional wellbeing. In this article, we’ll cover how science connects singing and language, how rhythm teaches early maths, and how vocabulary, memory and emotional development are enhanced through song.

So, how does singing help language development? Wee Make Music’s Founder and Director, Louise Carlile, is an avid advocate for the role of music in developing children into lifelong music lovers and learners. As a tertiary-qualified teacher and mum of four, Miss Lou understands the importance of language development in early childhood. Not only is singing fun for children, but it completely immerses them in language. From vocabulary to syllables to syntax, singing gives children the repetition and rhythm to absorb and understand their native language.

The Innate Musicality of Children

If you think about it, babies and young children are naturally interested in music.  Whether they coo and smile as you sing a nursery rhyme, clap along to a song or are soothed by a lullaby before bed, children are calmed and charmed by music. But that’s not all, research shows that music is naturally good for children, and children are naturally good at it. At Wee Make Music, we believe all children are innately musical and that music is the most effective way to boost their development. Even though this is scientifically proven through research, we know it’s a fact because we see children flourish through melody, rhythm and beat.

The Science Behind Singing and Language Development

First of all, you might be wondering, “how does singing help language development?” According to Raising Children, the first 1,000 days of a child’s life are key to their health, happiness and overall development. Science tells us that music and language share the same pathways in the brain, meaning that children process rhythm, pitch and tone the same way, whether spoken or sung. As Dr Anita Collins shares, babies primarily learn language through rhythmic (not phonetic) information such as sing-song speech. Therefore, nursery rhymes are crucial in speech and language development as they enable children to understand the rhythm of language. Plus, singing nursery rhymes benefits your child by: 

• boosting their vocabulary by introducing new words and phrases
• helping them identify rhyming words or alliteration in language (phonological awareness)
• encouraging their ability to learn orally (auditory memory) and recognise differences in sounds (auditory discrimination)

Holistic Development Through Music

Singing nursery rhymes benefits your baby or toddler’s holistic development in numerous ways. When it comes to language development, singing slows down language, breaking words into syllables through rhythm. Plus, singing songs gives children the benefits of rhyme and repetition to absorb words and phrases in a meaningful way.

A singing voice is more interesting to a baby than a spoken voice because of their fully developed auditory processing systems (hearing). They hear sounds with acute detail such as pitch, rhythm and tone and will naturally turn their attention to singing over monotonous spoken voice. As a result, they are more likely to respond with their own vocalising and hence be developing their own speech skills.

In addition to language and speech development, singing and moving to music builds your child’s physical development through improved vocalisation, coordination and movement. Rhythm and beat play into fine and gross motor skill development as children repeatedly clap, jump or perform movements as they sing. Lastly, singing gives babies or toddlers beautiful social bonding opportunities with you, siblings, friends, and other important people in their lives.

The Role of Rhythm and Beat

Language development isn’t the only academic advantage of learning music. After all, even though it feels like an artistic expression, music is highly mathematical in essence. Simply put, music is the sum of melody, form and rhythm. If you consider that beat is the foundation and rhythm is the framework for music, you can see that rhythm and beat can benefit your baby or toddler’s early childhood development in many ways.

For example:

• rhythm exposes your child to patterns, sequences and formulaic progressions
• a steady beat enhances their coordination and balance
• music enhances their numeracy skills as it involves counting, measurement and ratios (through pitch)

The Expanding Horizons of Early Musical Education

With the rapid, constant changes to how we live and work, a positive attitude to lifelong learning is a must for everyone. And especially our children. Early musical education ignites the growing left and right brain of your child, creating numerous neural connections that aid critical, analytical and creative thinking.  If you think towards their future, these sought-after skills will serve them throughout their life as the world around them continues to evolve.

In light of this, Wee Make Music has also continually evolved with the community since we began in 2005. We have adapted our musical curriculum and program to meet children’s needs today. Whether your child attends class with you, a grandparent or a nanny, everyone is welcome. Plus, if your work schedule conflicts with your sequential music class, you can enquire about Wee Make Music’s group daycare or kindergarten program, where we take our musical activities from our environment to theirs. 

Wee Make Music: A Holistic Approach to Early Childhood Music Education

Here at Wee Make Music, we offer a unique holistic approach to musical education for babies, toddlers and preschoolers in Brisbane. Our music classes are carefully curated to explore how song, rhythm and beat aid your child’s basic developmental needs of movement, exploration, sensory-motor experience, memory, numerical patterning and language. 

As Wee Make Music parent, Daniela Bernard shares, “Obviously Wee Make Music is fantastic for the development of basic musical skills, which form a great foundation for children to build on later on. But the variety of activities has also helped my boys to improve their fine and gross motor skills as well as social and language skill … And even though my boys are attending different class levels, they often sing the songs together or bring out their instruments to create their own music. It is such a great and fun way for the family to bond.”

Ending on a High Note

Singing isn’t just fun; it plays an essential role in your baby or toddler’s language development for babies and toddlers. Embrace the numerous benefits of sequential music classes for your child with Wee Make Music. To get started, book a free trial at Wee Make Music today. With classes running at three studios across Brisbane and online, we look forward to making music and awakening a lifetime love of learning with your child.

About Wee Make Music

Established in 2005, Wee Make Music is an early childhood music school offering a holistic approach to musical education focused on song, rhythm and beat to enhance early childhood development. From 3 months old to pre-Prep, over 1,600 children are nurtured and inspired by Wee Make Music classes across three inner-city studios in Brisbane. Check out our classes or book a free trial class to start making music with us!