The Benefit of Music and Singing With Toddlers

Young children are constantly learning, they are playing with the way words work and the rhythm and patterns in speech. This can be encouraged and strengthened through music.

Here are some of my favourite reasons for spending time singing with your child (even if you think your singing is reserved purely for the shower):

It helps to build a secure attachment and bond together. When singing with young children they generally look into your eyes automatically, creating a special social connection.
Singing helps to form the foundation of understanding communication and storytelling
Singing can help children to concentrate for longer periods of time, because of the nature of a song, there is a set length, children learn to focus for a full song, this helps their brain develop stamina.
It helps to build vocabulary and rhyming, when singing you can swap words in and out and make silly songs together – playing with words in this way helps children to learn how words work
Children can learn new words and concepts through song
Singing encourages children to listen carefully and join in, this strengthens their auditory skills
Music and singing encourages movement, a physical response to the sounds they are hearing.
Music let’s children explore volume and tone in different ways
Music and singing is a good way to keep children connected to their first language (or additional languages)
Songs can tell stories of culture and history, especially when special songs are passed down from generations (for example, my Grandma used to sing a special song to my Mum, my Mum then sung it with me as a child and I now sing it with the newest generation).