DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD'S MUSICAL DEVELOPMENT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING?
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| (photo credit) |
If you look closely at the classic stages of development in Baby's first year, you can see that they correspond beautifully with creating a solid foundation in music.
And, it's just about effortless!
Baby's respond to sound even before they are born.
Ask any pregnant mom, when she goes to a live music concert if she feels her baby moving to the music!
After Baby is born, we find that she continues to respond to music, and she especially loves the sound of her family members when they sing her a lullaby at night.
In fact, almost every toy that is engaging for a baby has some kind of jingly sound or rattling noise inside.
And, what baby doesn't love the sound of a sweet and gentle hand crank music box?
THE IMPORTANCE OF A RATTLE
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| Photo from Adobe Stock |
Very early on, your baby will begin to grasp objects, and one of the first things we offer her is a rattle.
I like the nice wooden ones that have a gentle sound, not harsh and loud, but soft like the rain falling.
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| Emilio, a Montessori Baby-Ed participant, enjoying his rattle at age 2 months. |
When you offer your baby a nice wooden rattle, you are giving him/her the first opportunity to "make music." You probably have learned by now, that early musical experiences have the most benefit for the child when she is given ways to make music. Listening to music is fine, but making music builds the brain!
When your baby makes music with a rattle, she begins to explore the concept of "cause and effect."
She also develops the small muscles of the hands and fingers, that are so important for writing, for cutting with scissors, and later for playing an instrument like the piano.
The sensory experience of shaking a rattle, gives Baby opportunities for developing auditory discrimination skills that play an important part in language development.
You can enrich the musical experience for your baby by shaking a percussion instrument along with her. Then, you can play a steady beat which will stimulate her senses to recognize and eventually to play a steady beat herself.
If you sing a simple song along with playing the instrument, then your baby gets the added benefits of hearing your voice (which she loves) and also how her home language sounds.
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| Photo from Adobe Stock |
And, the sound that a little percussion instrument makes, will entice your baby to creep over and check it out herself!
WHEN BABY CAN SIT ON HER OWN, THEN HER HANDS ARE FREE TO WORK & PLAY
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| Photo from Adobe Stock |
In the next classic stage of the child's development, your baby has become mobile and can sit up on her own. She will spy an object and then head right for it! (especially if it makes a fun sound)
As sitting becomes more and more refined, Baby discovers that s/he has her hands free to manipulate the object that she crawled over to explore.
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| Emilio, at age 8 months, playing his Chime Bar from MONTH FOUR of Montessori Baby-Ed |
Providing musical objects (instruments) in Baby's environment, gives her the opportunity to not only use her large motor skills to get over to the object, but also to practice with her small muscle development as she "plays" the instrument.
There is hand-eye coordination developing, along with sensory learning through auditory & kinesthetic experiences.
Once again, you can enhance the learning by playing and singing along with your baby.
WHEN BABY CAN STAND ON HER OWN, SHE CAN
DANCE TO THE MUSIC
By the time, your baby has arrived at the next classic stage, the standing/walking stage, s/he has celebrated her first birthday!
She has also passed through a major milestone of life. She is an independent being and she now realizes it!
With more and more confidence in her abilities, Baby responds to music by not only singing along, but also by dancing to the beat.
You can encourage Baby's musical development by inviting her to move to the music. You can model how to stomp, or march, or tiptoe when music is playing in the environment. Eventually, baby will have mastered the moves of her own little dance.
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| Invite your baby to twirl a colorful ribbon while she moves to the music (Photo by Jeri-Jo Idarius)
Spontaneously moving to music offers your baby practice with the large muscles of the legs and back that are important for walking, for running, and later for all kinds of athletics, including things like swimming, gymnastics & dance!
When you put on some of your favorite music and then dance, dance, dance...you not only release the stress of the day, you also bond with your baby in a sweet and happy way.
Want to learn more about what you can do to enhance your baby's musical development in her first year?
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Thank you for visiting my blog today. I hope you got some inspiration for making music with your baby!
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