Why We Teach Music
NEUROLOGICAL
Children’s brains at this age are over twice as active as adults’, burning twice as much glucose, which the degree of neural activity and development. The musical integration of small movement (such as finger play and playing instruments) and large muscle movement (such as dance) builds whole body balance and coordination.
SINGING, INSTRUMENTS, & DANCE
Children, ages 3-6, can develop “BASIC MUSIC COMPETENCY”, meaning they can replicate songs with accurate melody, rhythm, and physical coordination.
VOCABULARY
Children develop their use of 300+ words. Group singing can expand vocabulary, enhance speech technique and build memory skills.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Children are learning to expand their peer interactions: the repetition of songs builds self-confidence and interactive communication skills expand while playing music with adults and peers.
CRITICAL THINKING
As musical patterns are established and then varied, children learn to compare and contrast verses, instruments, movements, and their independent actions. When teachers ask for ideas for variations, or adapt a child’s ideas to the song, children develop their creativity and problem-solving skills.
