An article on music, childred & literacy by Ashley McLean

I had the pleasure of being contacted through my website by author & YoungMOMS founder Ashley McLean. She wrote this article for my blog, and to promote her own initiatives. Read on.

Singing, Dancing, and Learning:

How Music Helps Develop Literacy Skills for Children

Music is a powerful tool that can be used to develop literacy in children. From singing songs to playing instruments, there are many ways music can help children learn and grow. Here are some of the benefits music has on literacy, courtesy of performer Nick DeMatteo.

Growing Vocabulary

Music is an effective way to help children learn new words. When used in combination with visuals, such as pictures or videos, it can help them remember the meaning of words more easily. Also, when children sing songs with new words they are more likely to remember them due to repetition.

Singing songs that focus on basic sounds can also help children learn phonics. Nursery rhymes or other songs that focus on phonetic sounds such as “The Alphabet Song” or “B-I-N-G-O” are most effective. This way, children will become more familiar with how letters sound and how they work together to form words.

Building Grammar

Singing songs is a great way for children to practice their grammar skills, as well. Songs often use complex grammar structures but are still easy enough for young minds to understand. This makes them perfect for teaching grammar concepts, such as verb tenses or parts of speech. Furthermore, singing songs solidifies knowledge since repetition improves memory recall.

Auditory Processing

Rhythmic patterns in music can help children process auditory information better. This means they will be able to comprehend what they hear faster than if they were just listening without any musical accompaniment. Additionally, rhythmic patterns can also assist with memorization which is important for learning new words and phrases quickly.

Encouraging Creativity

Making music encourages creativity in children, which is essential for developing literacy skills. Through making music, children have the opportunity to express themselves creatively while also learning about structure and composition — all of which will come in handy when writing stories or essays later on in life.

Developing Critical Thinking

Learning an instrument requires critical thinking skills, such as problem-solving and decision-making, which are both important components of literacy development in children. By playing an instrument, children can become more familiar with music theory and notation, which will come in useful when they are reading or writing complex pieces of music.

Additionally, playing an instrument requires discipline, which teaches children the importance of dedication when learning something new — a skill that will come in handy when tackling a difficulty later in life.

Adding Music to Your Parenting Toolkit

Introducing music into time spent with your children can have a profoundly positive impact on them. For time-stressed parents, it may not be easy to find time for this activity, but taking the time is worth it.

Music can heighten kids’ engagement and enjoyment of activities while allowing them to use natural talents and creativity at an early age. Also, the listening skills required are essential in helping kids develop their language skills. Making time to incorporate singing, dancing, and learning with music will help foster all-important communication and create lifelong memories with your children.

Music is a powerful educational resource that can be used to boost literacy from infancy to adulthood. Children can benefit from singing songs and playing various instruments, as this teaches them more than just language concepts, but also important life skills. Parents can use music to help their kids learn new words and better understand language. Not only does music provide an enjoyable activity, but it has the potential to aid in the development of literacy skills in all stages of life.

BIO

Ashley McLean was a young mom once, and she was blessed to have a wonderful tribe of people to support her along the way. Many young moms don’t have this luxury, which is why she created youngmoms.info as a thank you for the unending love and warmth she and her daughter have received since day one.