CreativePlay Plus: Ideas in Play and Child Development

Think about how your child learns language – by hearing you speak every day, by trying out sounds, and having you respond with delight to their coos and babbling.  Ideally, children learn music in much the same way they learn language: through immersion in a rich environment with opportunities to develop listening, singing, and moving vocabularies.  You’ll notice your child’s early vocalizations are song-like and their movements contain many rhythmic elements.  Music educators recognize the importance of encouraging children’s “musical babble” in much the same way we encourage their language babble: an opportunity to play with sounds (pitches and rhythms) as they experience them.

Children gradually move from absorbing sounds, to playing with sounds through babble, and eventually to imitating musical patterns and phrases. You can encourage your child’s musical development by

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Singing songs to him
Echoing his vocalizations with attention to pitch and rhythm (lip bubbles, coos, “yabba-dabba” and “ba-ba-ba-ba” type patterns),

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Having “conversations” of back-and-forth musical babble.

Not only will you be having fun together, this will help facilitate your child’s musical development and could support other areas of cognitive development as well.

Interview download For more information about musical babble, including a CD with examples of songs and chants for young children, see Music Play: The Early Childhood Music Curriculum Guide for Parents Teachers & Caregivers

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Young children love to dance! Putting on some fun music and moving & grooving together is a great way to encourage physical activity, expose your child to a variety of musical styles, foster development of gross- and fine motor movement skills, and enrich relationships!

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Here are a few ideas for “mixing up” a dance party:

Wild Hogs movies Helping your child move comfortably and confidently to music will be fun as well as support multiple areas of development! For more great ideas check out Music Play: The Early Childhood Music Curriculum Guide for Parents Teachers & Caregivers

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Playing recorded music as part of your daily routine is a great way to introduce your child to a variety of musical genres as well as to help your child learn to use music in her life.  A children’s music CD can turn a traffic jam into a sing-a-long and a lullaby CD helps everyone relax at bedtime.  However, be sure your child has a chance to use and hear her own voice, too, by having times in the home or car when music or television is not playing and you are quiet, too!  It is during these “quiet” moments that your child’s brain has a chance to process auditory stimulation and respond with her own vocalizations.  Don’t be surprised to hear your child humming a known tune or making up a new song, words and all, while he colors at the table, plays in the bathtub, or while he’s supposed to be napping.  Go ahead and make a recording of your little one’s serenades - a delight to your child now and a precious keepsake for years to come.

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Antitrust dvdrip All children are born with music aptitude, or the potential to learn music. As you watch and listen to your young child sing and dance her way through the day, it’s obvious that there is music inside! You can help support musical development by:

1. Encouraging your child to be expressive musically
   • Give your child special time to make music. Lay out some empty Tupperware and a selection of items like dried beans, rice, or salt to put inside. Let your child practice making new sounds with these “shakers.”
   • Take your child’s lead and make music using just your bodies. Make popping noises with your mouth, clicking with your tongue, clap your hands, and shuffle your feet in a creative, fun way to make sounds.
   • Play echo games with movements as well as sounds, taking turns as leader and follower.
2. Refraining from judgment if your child uses materials in unusual ways to create music (as long as safety is not compromised)
3. Expressing enjoyment and excitement for the musical creativity they share with you.
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4. “It’s great to hear you hum songs to yourself while drawing!”
5. “That’s so fun you changed the words and made your very own song!”
6. You look so happy when drumming and clapping to different songs!”

No Mercy divx Madea’s Family Reunion The next time your child creates a little song or drums a beat on a pail, stop and enjoy the moment together and appreciate the way your child is expressing her/his musical ideas!

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Your voice is music to your child’s ears, even if you don’t think of yourself as the next American Idol.  Singing to your child and with your child is a special form of communication!

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Many parents naturally sing in a range lower than what infants and toddlers can best hear and imitate vocally.  When singing to your child, listen to the vocal sounds they are making and try to match your pitch to theirs.  This will enable your child to “sing back” – at first coos and hums, years later with more accuracy.  (For those readers who have studied music, the ideal range for vocalizing with young children is D to A above middle C.)

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Also, when singing, make eye contact with your child.  Enjoy this special form of communication!

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Parent coach Karen Deerwester writes:

Your child wants to be singing and dancing his way through every day with the people who love him full-time, all-the-time. And so, this is your reminder to pick a few of your favorite rhymes, songs, and games and add them to your baby-play repertoire on a regular basis…

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She lists the Garden Snail Palm Rhyme, the Shoe a Little Horse Foot Rhyme, and the Magic Hat game as example.

Besides the Eensy Weensy Spider, what songs do you sing with your kids?

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Many “traditional” children’s songs have a similar sound when it comes to pitches and rhythms, but there is a great, wide world of music available to enjoy with your child!  Early childhood is an important time to expose your child to a wide range of musical sounds, including a variety of instruments, styles, tempi (speeds), and genres.  In addition to playing recordings geared toward children, also introduce your child to other kinds of music, such as jazz, blues, country, world music, and classical.

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When selecting music to share with your child, variety is key.  Select some music with children singing, some with adults singing, and some with just instruments.   Pay attention to the kinds of music your child responds to, and incorporate these recordings into daily routines.  Also, remember to sing to and with your child, in addition to listening to recordings.

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What surprises you about your child’s musical tastes?

Music can be a great tool as you go through your day with your child.  Consider using music in these moments of your day:

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What other ways do you use music in your daily routines?

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