Music and Early Childhood
SHARED by: Jody Prusan, Director of Music at Gymtime
I am unable to imagine an early childhood program, or any program for that matter, that serves children and does not include music. Music is an essential part to a child’s life and is as vital to growth and development as air and water. It is the international language for all children from the moment they take their first breath. There are countless studies that support music in early childhood, but perhaps more significantly it’s my personal experience that has proven how important music is as both a therapeutic and educational tool. Even the youngest of children who are not yet using words will respond and interact with music. If you take a moment and think about it, you can to recall how music impacts your life…the calming effect of a nighttime lullaby or the energetic response to a rock n’ roll song.
Using music in early childhood helps to develop and stimulate the brain and activates other senses. It’s easy, fun and beneficial on numerous levels to incorporate songs into your daily routine. Having a morning wake-up song or a night time lullaby supports both routine and ritual.
Try a simple “fill in song” for a morning activity:
This is the way we brush our teeth
brush our teeth
brush our teeth
this is the way we brush our teeth early in the morning
This is the was we (comb our hair )
and then fill in as needed:
this is the way we “button our blouse”, “zip our zipper” and the list goes on…