Use Music to Encourage Learning in Toddlers
Toddlers Love Music!
There are a variety of things toddlers learn through music, from new vocabulary to increased confidence and social skills. From birth, babies are captivated by music and sound. This interest only increases as toddlers learn the words and how to join in with actions. Many childcare experts and midwives encourage new moms to introduce their child to music, and help their toddlers learn through music.
Vocabulary
From listening to songs on the radio to TV theme tunes and nursery rhymes, listening to music can help toddlers to increase their vocabulary. It exposes them to words they might not hear in everyday life, and as they become familiar enough with the song to join in with the words, the child learns a new word and how to use it in context. Listening to music also helps a toddler to discover how to pronounce new words. Many toddlers cannot wait to repeat the new words they have learned.
To help your children increase their vocabulary, expose them to a range of nursery rhymes. Buy a large book full of rhymes that you may not know, and learn a new nursery rhyme every day. The Baby Einstein CDs are full of interesting rhymes, music and words which are designed to inspire and teach. They are very popular both with young children and their parents. There is also a wide range of CDs available on varying topics, so that you do not get bored, and your child gains a wide vocabulary.
Mood-Boosting
Listening to music can boost a child’s mood as well as his or her confidence. Playing calm music can help encourage a baby or toddler to relax. This is a method often used to calm down boisterous children and make sure everyone is relaxed and happy. Similarly, listening to exciting, bouncy music helps children use up their energy. Singing nursery rhymes, while performing actions to go along with the music, does the same. Being involved in a group that is enjoying music helps children to feel settled in an environment and boosts their confidence.
Including music in everyday life is quite easy. Buy your child CDs with different styles of music on them, from calm to crazy. Play the calm tape in the morning to help the child wake up and again before nap time. Revert back to it to help control the atmosphere at any point. Use the crazy CDs at selected times, allowing the children to dance and play to the music and introducing them to new dance moves and actions.
Baby Einstein
Baby Einstein produces a range of CDs containing calm classical music or exciting nursery rhymes, alongside a large range of DVDs. These also use music to teach a child about a certain topic, offering visual stimulation alongside sound. These encourage children to listen to music and words, and also to repeat actions and movements and think creatively. The series is loved by parents and childcare staff and is perfect for entertaining your child while teaching them at the same time.
There are also Baby Einstein toys available, from play centers to rattles and puzzles, which stimulate the mind using sounds and colors. They are available for a wide age range and are often the favorite toys at nurseries and child care centers.
Set aside part of your day to watch a Baby Einstein DVD with your child, encouraging him to watch and join in. Ask him about new words that the program contains and help him to use theose words in real life, demonstrating how to include the word in conversation. Play Baby Einstein CDs throughout the day and encourage your child to play with musical instruments and toys. Remember that toddlers learn from music and, with the right choices, you’ll enjoy music time, too!
