Music can be therapeutic and supportive in your child’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. Here are a few specific benefits of music for development:
Language development
A child’s language development depends on how often they engage with others and listen to others communicate. That’s why music is so good for toddlers! With melodic rhyming and beautiful instrumentals, music tells a story. If the beat is catchy, kids can dance and sing along. In their desire to sing along, children are memorizing repetitive verses, expanding their vocabulary, and learning sentence structure.
Emotional regulation
Music can affect our mood. If you’re happy, you probably want to hear upbeat songs; if you’re sad, you might be drawn to something slower. However, if you’re happy and a sad song comes on, you may start to feel a bit sad. With lyrics and instrumentals, musicians know how to invoke emotion. This is why music is actually a great tool for emotional regulation! If you want to teach your child how to calm and soothe themselves, create a playlist of calming music. When they’re feeling overwhelmed, turn on their playlist.
Development of fine motor skills
“How can listening to music develop a child’s fine motor skills?” It’s not about listening, it’s about doing! Whether they are playing an instrument or dancing along, children are developing their fine motor skills. Playing an instrument like the guitar or piano requires precision — and this may not come so easily at first, but practice makes perfect. While dancing, a child is using many muscles. When they first start dancing, their movements may be a bit awkward and lack coordination but with time become more fluid and graceful.
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