The Impact of Music Education on Early Childhood Development

Have you ever found yourself recalling a specific song or lyric when you are in a certain place or performing a familiar activity?

Music is intrinsically linked to our memories in a similar way that taste and smell are linked. This link reminds us of times gone by and takes us back to previous experiences in our mind's view.

Off the bat, this tells us that music has direct links with memory and is something that we associate with experiences. Music can help us recall things later in life. What better place to ignite this link between music and memory than in a nursery setting? A nursery that is rich in early education.

When it comes to early education, music and movement boast a range of benefits. Not only does it create associations with certain songs and lessons. We can all most likely recall the nursery rhymes from our childhood days. They are brilliant for inspiring movement and physical activity.

Dancing is something that we love to do at My Ohana. Bridging music and movement together as part of our commitment to developing children through their minds, bodies, and the world around them. This brings music into the nursery routine, associating movement with rhythm, and nurturing the development of motor skills and self-expression. 

Music education is a technique that we use for the children in our care. The use of music and movement in the nursery setting contributes towards their self-expression and self-confidence. Children who are encouraged to move and dance freely at an early age tend to be more confident. These children continue to develop and will use movement and their motor skills as part of their communication well into their school years and even adulthood.

Using music as an educational tool underpins the concept of association and memory that we mentioned earlier in this article. Learning music, uncovering lyrics, and establishing rhythm are all key skills that boost literacy and maths. Music is also something that many of us will agree is intrinsically emotional, boosting the socio-emotional capabilities of children from a young age too.

Finally, music is fun. It is something that we want children in their early years and beyond to associate with enjoyable memories and things that they enjoy doing. This perhaps more than anything, is what inspires us to use music so broadly at My Ohana. It is safe to say that the benefits of music in the nursery setting stretch far beyond relaxing children at naptime, and encouraging them to dance during play hours.

We’ve already touched on the use of music when dancing at nursery, and how this builds expression as well as confidence and physical activity in our children. Beyond that, there are plenty of other ways that we enrich the nursery routine with music.

·        Learn nursery rhymes and well-known songs as a group.

·        Create a nursery band where every child is responsible for a different part of the musical number.

·        Use different styles of music to segment different parts of the day. For example, naptime, lunch, and outside play.

·        Make up songs about things that we are learning that day, combining lyrics with a memorable tune.

·        Encourage interest in learning more about specific instruments and musical styles.

To find out more about sending your child to a My Ohana nursery, get in touch with a member of our team directly today.