Music is all around us and expresses a wide variety of moods and feelings. It can be gentle and soothing or wild and exciting but recent research has shown that, not only is it enjoyable but it can have a profound effect on young children's brains. As a baby grows pathways in the brain are laid down which become stronger as they are used. Connections formed by listening to music are developed and become much stronger the more that the child is exposed to different forms of music.
Can these connections affect the way your child thinks and processes information? Research has shown that after listening to classical music spacial reasoning can be improved temporarily because the connections made from listening to this type of music are similar to those used for spacial reasoning. Learning to play an instrument also has an effect on spatial reasoning which is longer lasting.
All types of music help to stimulate the formation of connections in the brain but classical music seems to have the most effect. This may be due to the complexity of classical music that stimulates the brain and lays down pathways that can then be used for other complex tasks.
Music also has a profound effect on our moods and can be used to lull babies to sleep or stimulate them in play. So we should expose our children to music of all types from an early age. We can play music to babies from birth and there are many musical toys available for children of all ages. When they are a little older we can begin to introduce them to musical instruments. A good place to start is with a good quality drum that is easy on parent's ears and produces a melodic sound, rather than the annoying banging of cheap drums. Remo Djembe drums are excellent quality or try a Remo drum set. Children can start to learn about rhythm and tones and have fun at the same time. Musical hand bells are also great from an early age and children can easily use them to make different melodies.
When they are a little older a 'learn to play' keyboard will be very popular. Look for one with color coded keys so that children can easily play melodies or make up their own music. There are some good quality ones available that can be bought for around $30.
Introducing music at an early age can, not only help in their development, but give them a life long love of music.
