Can Music Have a Positive Impact on Language Development in Children?

09/03/2014

We have another great blog entry from guest author Rosemary from Kindermusik with Kari and Friends about how music can have a positive impact on your child’s language development.

Can Music Have a Positive Impact on Language Development in Children?

 Let’s just dive on in to this topic – YES, music can have a positive impact on a child’s language development! Here’s how:

Focused Music Listening with Vocals: Get those iPods ready to rock! When children listen to music with vocals, they can observe the singer’s patterns of language – speech sounds, syntax, articulation, etc. This auditory learning is heightened when combined with a visual demonstration. Both hearing a sound and seeing it made at the same time links two major concepts of language together: when you move your mouth and tongue in a certain way, it will sound a certain way. Similarly, if you move your mouth and tongue in a different way, the sound that comes out is different. Bottom line: grown-ups, get singing! [By the way, regardless of how you feel about your singing voice, the children in your life will think you’re the best singer ever. Trust me

Singing: Sing it loud, and sing it proud! When children sing [whether they comprehend the tune’s word meaning yet or not], they are directly engaged in the patterns of language. Whether imitating another singer or coming up with a tune of their own, children are trying out new words and practicing old ones. Enjoyment is a key player in language development through singing. If children are having fun with their singing, they will want to do more and more of it!

Music, Movement & Labelling: Swing, sway and hop away! Move with your child to their favorite tune, and expand his/her vocabulary while doing so! Here’s an example: One and a half year old Suzie is walking while she listens to music. What can we do to further Suzie’s language development? Notice her walk, break walking down, and walk again! “Suzie, I see that you’re using your legs to walk to the music! Where are your legs? [Suzie will either point to her legs or we (grown-ups) can show Suzie where her legs are.] There they are! Let’s walk to the music again! Walk, walk, walk, walk, etc.” Through labelling, we communicated to Suzie which action she chose to do [walking] and which body part she used to perform the action [legs]. The combination of music, movement and labelling is a fun, multi-sensory approach to vocabulary growth and word meaning.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Questions/observations? Leave a comment below! I’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to the music/language development relationship, so another post will be on its way. Or two…or three… J

Chat soon!

~Miss Rosie, Kindermusik with Kari & Friends

[Source: mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com]