Hi everyone! Happy Thursday!
Thursdays have become my favorite … it’s blog day! AND, it’s our music group day!
My daughter, L, has always seemed to love music - or at least she’s always responded to music. Singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was the only way to keep her calm in the car when she was a tiny infant. I wanted to expose her to some kind of a music group or class early. Not only is music a fun mood-lifter but it also ignites all areas of child development.
USC neuroscientists conducted a five-year study to track the impact music appears to have on the brain. Initial results showed music may actually accelerate brain development in babies and toddlers (particularly in the areas of the brain responsible for processing sound, language development, speech perception, and reading skills).
Benefits of Music in Child Development
Helps develop vocabulary. Songs make vocabulary introduction fun! By repeating different sounds and words, children can learn to associate that things have names. When we sing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” for example, children are learning the names and locations of different body parts. The more words they are exposed to, the stronger their vocabulary will be.
Increases sensory development. Music aids in sensory development, just like taste and texture. Exposing a child to a variety of different types of music can help develop brain pathways, forming strong connections. These connections may actually be even stronger when you also incorporate different kinesthetic activities, such as dancing along!
Introduces and improves literacy and numeracy knowledge. Through repetition, songs help children learn and identify sound patterns. Additionally, music helps children learn to anticipate what’s next. This leads to sequencing, which eventually leads to a basic understanding of literacy and numeracy.
Builds coordination (both fine and gross motor). Whether it’s dancing along to the “Chicken Dance,” pointing to different body parts in “Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” or the small movements of the spider climbing up the water spout in “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” songs promote all kinds (big and small) of body coordination.
Promotes social interaction and awareness. Singing along with friends their own age allows children to comfortably explore their social interaction and awareness. How fun is it to sing along to a familiar song with a friend?!
We were lucky enough to meet a very qualified, talented, and sincerely passionate music group leader.
Her name is Ms. Eileen Esposito and she owns Sunflower Songwriting School. She is a board-certified music therapist and certified child life specialist. She has practiced the clinical application of music for child development and coping skills full time in pediatric hospitals for the last 6 years. In 2020 she scaled back and started a “private practice” offering these fun, developmentally supportive music sessions to her community - specifically “private quarantine pods” when our little learners needed it most! (Basically, she’s a unicorn.)
So on Thursday mornings, Ms. Eileen, along with four to seven other little learners (ranging in age from about 15-20 months), join us in our backyard for a 45-minute meaningful, musical jam session!
Our zealous director brings with her props and instruments to lead the fun. My neighbors have literally peeked their heads over the fence to see what they were missing out on. The little learners are able to freely explore instruments, sing songs and move their little bodies as they dance along.
Although Ms. Eileen brings her own instruments to share, she also encourages families to bring whatever tools they have at home to create music. She shares how to use what you already have to create music and memories. These tools don’t have to be fancy or expensive – they can be as simple as jars filled with rice or beans, which make super amusing noises (well- to toddlers anyway!) when they’re shaken!
When I asked Ms. Eileen to share with me her favorite part of what she’s doing, she said, “…Seeing the kids grow over time. They grow more confident, more social and communicative, and actually skillful, learning words, and rhythms. It’s really amazing watching [the kids] blossom and bloom throughout these musical moments we create together.”
She added, “I love the positivity it brings to families, too. Music is so special and such a fun way to bond and try new things, and just be silly and creative.”
She ended with, “Life is so serious for grownups, and music with little ones can really keep things in perspective, be a great escape and a great practice of self-care.”
We are so thankful to have met Ms. Eileen. She’s providing such powerful lessons that our little learners will carry with them forever.
Thanks for reading! Remember to follow along to find (and share!) inspiration, information, and innovation! :-)
* I'm not at all affiliated with Ms. Eileen or Sunflower Songwriting School - I just genuinely love the experience she offers and hope you can explore it (or something similar in your area) as an option for your little learners too! :-)
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