Shaking legs in the living room on winter days or singing karaoke along with the radio, kids love listening and dancing to music.
Music is an universal language. There are tons of reasons to encourage this enthusiasm in children. Research shows that even premature babies and babies in womb respond to music.
Music boosts kids’ brain power:
"Studies show correlation between academic achievement with children who are exposed to music," says children Music specialist Meredith Legvande.
Music will improve their Memory:
"Further research has shown that participation in music at an early age can help improve a child’s learning ability and memory by stimulating different patterns of brain development," says Maestro Marturelt a conductor composer and musical director for the Miami Symphony orchestra.
Music helps them socially:
Children learn musical skill in a group. They learn how to relate to music. It is a team work. They appreciate and learn together.
Music is a confidence builder:
"You need to work together in a group to make music," says Dotson Westphalen. In the process, music teaches them patience too.
Research shows that kids who are actively involved in music
· do better in reading
· learn co-ordination, goal-setting concentration and co-operation.
· are more likely to do better in math and science because music helps build reasoning skills and cognitive development, which are important to both.
· get along better with peers and have higher self-esteem.
One study demonstrated that 2nd grade students who were given key board training while also using math software scored higher on proportional math and fraction tests than students who used the software alone. Students who have been involved in public school music programs score higher on their SATs than those who don’t.
Music also helps in lowering stress. It also reduces pain for hospitalized kids.
Studies show that infants engage more to music and other rhythmically regular sounds than speech. Infants also exhibit tempo flexibility to some extent. For very young children music has power and meaning that go beyond words. Sharing music with kids is simply one more way to give love and receive love.
Key Message: Music is a natural therapy for a healthy growing child.