The benefits of preschool music lessons
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The benefits of preschool music lessons go way beyond the classroom. Preschool music lessons not only help to support kids language growth and motor skills development, but they also help to improve their memory and internalise rhythm. We take a look at the positive effects of music on children’s brain development, the importance of rhythm and the physical benefits of music too.
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Preschool music lessons not only help to support language growth and motor skill development, but early exposure to music also helps to improve memory and aids with the internalization of rhythm.
We take a look at the positive effects of music on brain development, the importance of rhythm and the physical benefits of music too.
Benefits of preschool music lessons
1. Preschool music & brain development
Research into the positive impact that music has on kids brain development is an ongoing area of study, but what we already know is that singing and learning to play music has so many advantages for young children developmentally.
Music impacts positively on their brain development in a way that is embedded for life, creating increased verbal memory, enhanced language and verbal abilities, along with greater literacy skills. These are all key benefits young children will take with them into adulthood, if they are exposed to music education from an early age.
Part of the reason that these positive effects can occur, is because learning to play an instrument activates the auditory and motor regions of the brain, as well as well as the region of the brain used for self-appraisal and emotional regulation.
2. Importance of rhythm for preschoolers
Creating opportunities for preschoolers to understand and internalize rhythm is one of the most important aspects of music education.
The understanding of rhythm supports temporal processing - the ability to process and comprehend auditory information.
Rhythm also helps preschoolers to develop concentration, hones their ability to focus and helps to support a vast range of cognitive skills such as the speedier processing of information (music can help a preschooler to ‘think’ faster).
The advantages of preschool music education are compounded when combined with whole-body rhythmic activity and body percussion.
Movement within music education supports kinaesthetic learning, assists with motor skills, coordination and right brain/left brain functioning.
(Which is one of the key benefits of music education & is a great aspect to focus on).
3. Physical benefits of music for preschoolers
Learning music also has plenty of physical benefits for preschooler too and can help with their development of fine and gross motor skills.
Singing, action songs and dancing to music are all activities which will help preschoolers to develop control over their limbs, as does learning to beat on a drum or how to hold a musical instrument.
Practicing finger movement, operating hand-held musical instruments or playing notes on a keyboard are activities to help develop fine motor ability which is essential for hand and finger control - a necessary precursor to learning how to hold a pencil to write when starting school.
4. Singing & aural awareness for preschoolers
Singing from an early age and being exposed to tuneful singing will help develop a preschooler’s aural ability (which is the skill to be able to recognize pitch and to sing in tune).
In fact, studies have shown a child has the ability to develop perfect pitch up until the age of 6-7 years old.
Attending music lessons from a young age gives kids the ability to understand and to appreciate music fully, which in turn can carry right through into their adult life.
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Source: This article was written by Katie Anstiss (B.Mus, Grad.Dip.Music NZSM), director of The Christchurch Music Academy who specialise in preschool music education via their exclusive Kinderbeat Curriculum.