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May 8, 2016 - Books are a huge part of our lives, we absolutely LOVE them! When I originally sat down to do this post I was only planning on sharing 25 titles with y'all...and well I guess it

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10 Ways Babies Learn When We Sing to Them

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When you sing to your baby she learns listening skills, new words, and so much more. Here are 10 ways babies learn when we sing to them.

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Transcript of "How music affects your baby's brain: Mini Parenting Master Class" video

Did you know a lullaby will make your baby calmer because it slows down her heart?

Music is the most important thing in our life. Is your baby getting enough music?

My name is Dr. Ibrahim Baltagi and this is my Mini Parenting Master Class on how music affects your baby's brain.

What effect does music have on babies in the womb?

It is proven that music has a role in brain development before birth.

Listening to music during pregnancy will not only have a soothing and uplifting effect on the pregnant woman, but also a positive influence on the unborn baby.

Around 16─18 weeks of pregnancy, the little one hears its very first sound.

By 24 weeks, the little ears start to develop rapidly and babies have been shown to turn their heads in response to voices and noise in the last few months of pregnancy, an unborn baby can recognize her mother's voice, her native language, word patterns and rhymes.

What music should a pregnant mother listen to?

In the third trimester, the baby will be definitely able to hear the music you play. Classical music, gentle sounds like lullabies, nice melodies that inspire happiness all are designed to be soothing.

How can music help develop a young child's brain?

Music ignites all areas of child development and skills for school readiness, particularly in the areas of language acquisition and reading skills.

Learning to play a musical instrument can improve mathematical learning, and even increases school scores.

How can you use music to soothe your baby to help her sleep?

Music inspires emotions, so music can be a popular recommendation to soothe the little one peacefully. And it is a welcome addition to the baby's sleep routine.

The music must be soft, soothing, relaxing, to create a calm atmosphere to nurture their sleeping patterns.

A familiar tune or music or song becomes like a session of music therapy. Slow, soft, repetitive music will actually slow down the heartbeat and allows for calmer and deeper breathing.

Don't underestimate the power of the mother, father or any caregiver's voice while singing. Her voice is familiar and the rhythm is calming.

Where do lullabies come from?

The English word "lullaby" is thought to come from the "lala" or "lulu" sounds made by mothers or nurses to calm children.

"Bye" is another lulling sound, or a term to say "goodnight". A lullaby, or so-called cradle song, has a story to soothe babies and small children to sleep.

Lullabies are found in every culture and sung in every language. Brahms' Lullaby is perhaps the most well-known and easily recognizable of the cradle songs.

What are the best musical instruments for toddlers?

There are many ways in which you can create music with your child for free. Vocal chords are the only innate instruments that are created in a human being.

There are other instruments that we can use, which is percussion like clapping, snapping, stomping and patting on your thighs.

Also, there is tons of stuff around your home such as if you get a wooden spoon and play it on a pot, you can play it with your child.

The best musical instruments you can buy for your children would include toy drum, shakers or rattles, glockenspiel, xylophones, maracas.

Can music help your child socialize?

There's something about listening to music or playing it with other people that brings its own social buzz, making you feel connected to those around you.

Music at early ages helps children express themselves and share feelings. Even at an early age, they can sway, bounce, move their hands in response to music they hear.

They can even make up their own songs. They learn to laugh, repeat words and it encourages them to use these words and memorize them.

We have learned about several mechanisms through which music impacts our ability to connect with one another by impacting brain circuits involved in empathy, trust and cooperation, perhaps explaining how it has survived in every culture of the world.

Music is present in our lives, in so many aspects. At home, music can become part of our everyday experiences.

From birth, parents use music to calm and soothe children, to express their love, joy, and to engage and interact.

Parents can build on these natural instincts by learning how music can impact child development, improve social skills, and benefits kids of all ages.

My advice is to start music with your children as early as possible.

Dr. Ibrahim H. Baltagi is a lecturer at the Lebanese American University and serves as the head of the music program at the Lebanese International University. He has published a series of music books for children.

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How music affects your baby's brain: Mini Parenting Master Class

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Discover how tapping into music can benefit your child

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Music is a great way to introduce children to sounds and words! Research indicates that exposure to music has numerous benefits for a child's development.

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This post may include affiliate links and I may earn commission if you make a purchase through these links.

Years ago there was the Mozart effect, and today, tons of research findings support the fact that music can support development in infants and toddlers in more ways than one. The simple act of singing a lullaby to your baby or putting on a song to move to can offer many benefits for your baby, which also includes strengthening the bond between you two.

Curious about how to take it further? Keep reading to discover some of the best music and movement activities for infants and toddlers and practically everything you need to know about exposing your child to these important sensory experiences!

How Does Music Benefit in Early Childhood?

Music has been a part of us from the beginning and has influenced us a lot, whether we acknowledge it or not. In our early childhood years, music stimulates the senses and has positive a positive effect on our social and cognitive skills. Studies have also demonstrated that children who participate in group musical activities tend to score higher on listening comprehension tests compared with those who do not. It was also found that young children who were exposed to music developed higher test scores in language, basic math, and visual-motor performances.

In fact, studies have also revealed that infants who had musical experiences displayed higher IQs throughout the first three years of life compared with their non-musical counterparts.

Music can be introduced early on through activities such as singing songs, playing instruments, or dancing and when this happens, the brain forms neural connections which aid in future development. These neural pathways help children to interpret sound patterns that are then utilized in education and social activities. Musical interaction also supports a young child's emotional intelligence by helping them develop an ear for different sounds and developing a greater understanding of speech.

Musical experiences in the early years of life have also been found to help with reading, learning new languages, math, and developing problem-solving abilities.

Singing songs to babies can aid in establishing connections between concepts like words and objects through repetition. Repetition is especially helpful when introducing children to new information or skills. Furthermore, musical activities help young children retain information better than visual presentations alone.

While it is clear that there are numerous benefits to music, the manner in which children acquire musical skills is also very important. Singing songs and playing instruments must be introduced as early as possible for a child's brain to develop best.

What Do Toddlers Learn From Music and Movement?

Toddlers can also benefit a lot from music and movement activities. These activities can help boost receptive language skills, fine motor skills, play and creativity abilities, self-regulation, concentration, socialization, physiological regulation, problem-solving skills, spatial awareness, and all the necessary skills and areas for toddlers to gain confidence in before beginning school.

Exposure to music was also found to increase motivation for other learning activities and offer benefits for not just those with learning differences but provide a positive influence on all children who are exposed to it from an early age.

How Does Music Support Learning Outcomes?

There are tons of studies that have shown that music can positively impact the academic performance of learners in a number of ways. Some of the benefits of introducing music at an early age in life include an increased ability to memorize information and concepts, improved vocabulary and conceptual knowledge about topics being studied, improved literacy skills, improved behavior by incorporating song lyrics with positive messages, increased willingness to participate in active listening tasks such as recall or summarising information presented musically.

How Does Music Help Infants?

Infants are able to pick up on things around them almost immediately after birth. Everything from the sound of your voice, what you sing to them, the music they hear on TV or radio can all contribute to their development. There are many research studies on the effects of music on infant development.

One of the very first experiences babies associate with music is touch. Through rhythmic stroking of their bodies, parents help infants develop sensory skills and muscle control. This makes them better able to hold objects later on. Newborns enjoy listening to lullabies, classical melodies, folk songs, and jazz because these forms are slow-paced and soothing. Mood-sensitive music has been shown to calm crying babies more effectively than conventional, nonmusical methods.

Best Music Activities For Infants

Music and movement activities for babies can be lots of fun and can also help foster the bond between the parent and child. Here are some good activities you can get started with.

Start with any song to sing to, and encourage your baby to dance and wiggle to it, until you use the word 'STOP.' Depending on your baby's age, you might need to demonstrate this a few times. This simple activity can help your baby develop impulse control and offer opportunities for him to engage in cooperative play and sharpen his listening skills.

Use fingers to demonstrate numbers when singing a song or a rhyme. This simple activity can help enhance your baby's pre-math skills.

Sing songs together that reinforce certain behaviors and actions. The song 'when you're happy and you know it is a good example. Using music as a tool to encourage your child to perform a certain activity can be really helpful specifically when it comes to dveloping a routine.

Use hand or finger puppets to make songtime even more fun.

Best Music Toys for Infants

Finding a musical toy for your baby is easy- you'll find tons of options available, but it is here that you need to be even more careful. Make sure you're picking up the toy mindfully, and not just buying a light-up toy that plays music when your baby pushes the buttons on it.

You might want to invest in toys that are practical, functional, and open-ended. These toys will help your baby explore music in a much better way, and they'll last you for years too. Here are a couple of good options you can choose from.

Crafted in 100% wood, making it a safe option for toddlers and babies, this set can be a good music toy to invest in. You might need to supervise when your baby is using these, but they are the ideal Montessori toy that you can get your baby to use to explore music and sounds in a natural way.

This award-winning set is another great buy! It is made with bamboo wood and has bright and attractive colors. By using these instrument toys, your baby will learn audio recognition, cause and effect and so much more.

How Does Music Help Toddlers?

Just like infants, toddlers can also benefit from exposure to music.

Playing fun songs that have high energy can help stimulate them and get them to release their energy, which is perfect for hyperactive toddlers. Listening to soothing songs, in contrast, can help them calm down, which is a good idea to practice during bedtime.

When toddlers dance to their favorite tunes and move their bodies, they are also enhancing their gross motor skills.

Playing counting and alphabets songs and singing along can strengeth your toddler's vocabulary and help him learn more about these valuable concepts in a learning experience that are super fun.

Best Music Activities for Toddlers

Does your toddler enjoy music already? Here are a few excellent music activities to get him involved in.

Get him to stomp his feet or clap his hands to the beats when you're playing some music. It is also a good idea to exaggerate how loud your stomping sounds are when doing this, as it will make it more fun for them! This activity works particularly well with children who may be hyperactive and would benefit from using up some excess energy!

Jumping along with an instrument is a great activity for toddlers who want to get involved in music, but may feel a little nervous about stamping their feet.

Kids will enjoy learning numbers and singing songs at the same time. Play a number, such as "one," and have your child repeat it back to you. Then sing them a song that also begins with that number.

It is important not to force your toddler to take part in activities that they don't want to do, or that make them uncomfortable. If you have a toddler who will only stomp their feet on very familiar songs, it's fine to just stick with those ones.

Best Music Toys for Toddlers

Investing in some music toys for your toddler can help. You can't always rely on the good old 'Cocomelon' now can you? Here are a few good options to consider.

This 10-piece musical set has different musical instruments, and is a great toy to get for your toddler to help him move and groove to the beats of the music that he makes. The different instruments help expose your toddler to a variety of tones, rhymes, and sounds. Plus, it also comes with a small wooden crate to store all the instruments in.

This one's a fun 4 in 1 toy that offers your toddler a unique learning experience. It is safe and durable and crafted in natural materials. Apart from lending your toddler the sensory experience of sound, the toy also encourages him to identify shapes and colors and can exercise his tactile development.

How Do Movement Activities Help Babies and Toddlers?

Engaging in movements, orienting themselves in the space, and using their bodies is something that comes to every baby and toddler naturally. Getting absorbed in movement activities can help growing children link concepts and cause to action and learn through trial and error- an experience that is exceptionally important for them to have.

Some studies have also linked movement activities to better memory in children. And of course, there are always the physical benefits of movements including improved balance and stability, gross motor skills, and strengthening of muscles. That's not all; getting involved in movement activities can be incredibly helpful to less vocal children.

Teaming movement activities up with some music can help you make the most of the entire experience.

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11 Music and Movement Activities for Infants and Toddlers - Play. Learn. Thrive.

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This post may include affiliate links and I may earn commission if you make a purchase through these links. Years ago there was the Mozart effect, and today, tons of research findings support the fact that music can support development in infants and toddlers in more ways than one.

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Beyond Twinkle, Twinkle: Using Music with Infants and Toddlers - ZERO TO THREE

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Music has a power that goes beyond words. The pleasure of sharing music builds connections between parent and child as sounds and rhythms surround the child in a world of sensations and feelings. Music also offers a joyful and rewarding learning experience and nurtures a child’s imagination and crea…

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It's nearly naptime, and Ms. Leda and 11-month-old Charlotte settle into a rocking chair in a cozy corner of the room. Ms. Leda reads Anna Dewdney's Llama Llama Misses Mama, and Charlotte listens with rapt attention. Ms. Leda chose this book because she has noticed that Charlotte becomes upset when her mom drops her off each morning. This separation anxiety is new, and the book offers a comforting approach to adjusting to a new setting. It is a favorite among the babies and toddlers in this program.

Ms. Katherine, a toddler teacher in the same program, knows this well. In her classroom, 3-year-old Javier plays with blocks as she reads Llama Llama Misses Mama and repeats the words from a story that he knows by heart.

Reading Aloud with Infants and Toddlers

Read alouds are an instructional practice during which adults read texts aloud to children (beginning from birth). To build engagement, the reader varies their voice and pace; they use eye contact, gestures, props, and more (Morrison & Wheeler, n.d.). Engaging read alouds go beyond reading a book from cover to cover. They involve pausing to ask questions and offer explanations, reactions, and comments. In fact, teachers should think of read alouds as an important source of serve-and-return interactions with young children. They might share a few pages of a text, responding with words to a baby's gestures or babbles. Or, they may invite a toddler to "read" to them, promoting vocabulary and comprehension.

Reading aloud helps develop essential competencies infants and toddlers will need to become skilled readers later on. Two of these competencies are vocabulary knowledge and world knowledge (Wright 2018-2019). Through read alouds, children can learn the names and meanings of the objects, actions, people, and ideas all around them. At the same time, children can learn how these people, ideas, and things relate to one another, which is the critical background information for literacy development in the future.

Read alouds with infants and toddlers can happen at any time! Early childhood educators can include read alouds in daily routines and in planned activities and play throughout the day. They can also thoughtfully integrate books into learning centers and other areas to encourage discovery and exploration. For example, including a copy of Building a House, by Byron Barton, in the block center may launch the creation of different types of homes. The classic Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson, or the newer title Beautiful Oops!, by Barney Saltzburg, can enrich the arts center.

How to Plan for an Effective Read Aloud

Read alouds should be done using quality texts, rich with illustrations and content that connect to children's interests, questions, and prior experiences and that introduce new knowledge. Quality texts should come from diverse authors and illustrators and include diverse characters, places, and events. Infant and toddler educators can enhance read alouds by including a variety of genres, such as informational texts in addition to storybooks.

As you plan ahead, consider the following strategies for selecting quality texts and arranging the environment for reading aloud with infants and toddlers.

Selecting Quality Texts to Read Aloud

To begin, have a goal in mind. The goal may be related to the social and emotional domains (as in the opening vignette), the physical domain, language domain, or other domains. As seen with Charlotte and Javier, books can help children safely explore feelings and process new experiences, such as the birth of a new sibling or the loss of a beloved pet. If your goal is related to social and emotional development, gather a small collection of books that name and explore feelings, from simple board books to texts about more complex feelings. These might include

Wemberly Worried, by Kevin Henkes (2000)

Lola Reads to Leo, by Anna McQuinn (2012)

My Friend and I, by Lisa Jahn-Clough (1999)

The goal of the read aloud may be to simply reflect children's interests and questions-the weekly arrival of the garbage truck ( I Stink!, by Kate and Jim McMullan) or an impending snowstorm ( The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats). It can also connect to a bigger idea, topic, or theme the class is exploring. Read Growing Vegetable Soup, by Lois Ehlert, to build shared vocabulary (such as soil, shovel, and broccoli) as you jump into gardening activities with 2-year-olds in your center.

Also think about how a particular book can introduce or reinforce certain vocabulary and concepts. Children's books include words they do not hear in everyday conversations. One study found that picture books contain more unique word types than child-directed speech (Montag, Jones, & Smith 2015). In another study, children's books contained 50 percent more rare words than primetime television or even college students' conversations (Hayes & Ahrens 2009). Books should model rich language with illustrations to support comprehension. For example

Rosie's Walk, by Pat Hutchins (1967), can be a jumping-off point for an activity focused on spatial learning and engineering, such as helping children construct a pulley system.

A Good Day, by Kevin Henkes (2007), explores how a day can turn from bad to good for a variety of animals, and it includes words such as tail feather, tangled, and tucked.

Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo, by Kevin Lewis (1999), takes readers on a toy train ride as a little boy makes his way to bed, and it introduces vocabulary like echo and swift.

Planning for repeated readings of a text with rich vocabulary and of related learning activities enriches children's learning across domains and the curriculum. It is also a wonderful strategy for making the most of the reading experience.

When the goal is to build world knowledge, begin with children's own world. This means seeing characters that look and act like themselves, their families and friends, and their cultures and communities. There are so many titles to choose from. Some favorites focus on cultural traditions, like Bee-Bim Bop!, by Linda Sue Park. Others share about family routines and traditions, like Saturday, by Oge Mora, and different family structures, like Love Makes a Family, by Sophie Beer, to name just a few.

Welcome the world into your classroom by inviting parents to participate as readers or storytellers. You can use books to nurture identity (Parlakian 2019) and celebrate differences (Kinsner 2019). Visit DiverseBookFinder.org for suggestions.

Arrange the Environment for Reading Aloud

A big part of sharing a book with babies and toddlers is the intimacy of reading together-the snuggles, the conversation, the joint attention directed to the book and each other. Choose a setting and time that support that intimacy: a comfy chair or soft floor cushions in a quiet corner at a time of day when children's physical needs have been met. Remember that babies do not differentiate between read alouds and playtime, so you can use books throughout the day one-on-one or in groups of two. You can also use stories to support transitions, such as before naptime or during arrival.

When reading with toddlers, select a space where you can keep an eye on them: They are often driven to move at this age, and it can be satisfying to listen in from a few feet away. You can also plan ahead and identify actions or props they can use to act out the story while you read-intentionally tapping into their activity level and curiosity rather than expecting quiet toddlers sitting still. It's also fine to end the read aloud before the story is officially over to be responsive to their interest and attention.

Engaging Infants in Read Alouds

Being attuned to babies' cues-of both active involvement and boredom-helps educators to tailor read-aloud experiences to meet children's interests and needs. Babies will be interested in exploring every aspect of a book. This includes chewing the corners and dropping the book to see what happens-all of which help infants learn what a book is and what it can do. Knowing how a book "works" is an important early literacy skill, so do not be surprised if babies are equally interested in how the pages can move back and forth as with finishing the book.

Early educators can encourage babies' engagement by asking a question and pausing for a baby to respond: "Where is Mama Llama going? Do you think she'll come back?" This interaction models turn-taking and paves the way for more sophisticated early literacy skills, as described in the toddler section below. Based on a baby's attention span, teachers can simply talk about what is happening on each page using just a few words. Teachers might also create sturdy homemade books with photos of the baby and loved ones to talk about as part of read-aloud time. You can provide more than one way to access texts, such as by creating a book path (photocopying and laminating images from simple board books and taping them to the floor). As babies crawl along, you can talk about the text and point out and name objects in the pictures.

Babies enjoy rhyming stories (like Jamberry, by Bruce Degan) and even songs in book form (like Wheels on the Bus, by Raffi). Although easy to overlook, nonfiction books can be used quite effectively with infants too. My Car, by Byron Barton, is usually a big hit: it has simple illustrations and focuses on the experience of driving a car, including a trip to the gas station.

Engaging Toddlers in Read-Aloud Experiences

Around age 2, children are ready for a chance to take the lead during read alouds. Talking about what is happening in the story helps children build language skills and grow their vocabulary (Whitehurst 2002). It also models the interaction between writer and reader that's useful throughout adulthood.

Let's take a toddler favorite: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, by Mo Willems. As you read together, you can (Napoli & Johnson 2019)

Repeat a word the child says. "Yes, that is a bird!"

Offer new words. "That kind of bird is called a pigeon."

Add information. "The pigeon looks angry (sad/disappointed/frustrated) that he can't drive the bus."

Connect to children's experiences. "We saw pigeons in the park this morning."

Highlight differences. "Here is a picture where the pigeon looks angry. Can you find one where he looks happy?"

As children progress in their emergent literacy skills, you can turn more of the read aloud over to them by doing the following (Whitehurst 2002):

Pause when the book repeats a phrase to give children a chance to say it instead of you."Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do . . . [you see]?" (Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle)

Ask children to remember what happened. You can do this at any part of the story, not just at the end. "What happened when Goldilocks sat in Baby Bear's chair?" (Goldilocks and the Three Bears, by Jan Brett)

Ask children to talk about what is happening in a picture. "What is happening to the seeds? Do they look different now?" (Plant the Tiny Seed, by Christie Matheson)

Ask questions about the pictures in the book. "What's your favorite part of the picture? Where is the rabbit? Who took the carrots?" (Carrot Soup, by John Segal)

Make connections to the children's lives. "This book is about going to the market. Our class went to the farmer's market yesterday. What did you see there?" (Baby Goes to Market, by Atinuke)

Reading should be fun, so make reading aloud a dialogue and not a quiz. Keep the conversation going so children can participate with their current language skills. Over time, let them take on more and more of the storytelling as a way to build their language and literacy skills.

After reading these texts together, teachers can use photos and captions to create classroom books that document children's discoveries and activities; for example, "We Explore Our Neighborhood" or "We Plant a Garden." These can be read again and again. Copies can be made and sent home to families to share with children at home; teachers might also send a list of questions that families can use to foster discussions and engagement with their children outside of the classroom.

Think About It

Were you read aloud to as a child? What about that experience would you like to keep the same or change for the children in your classroom?

Who were the main characters in the books you read growing up? Were a diverse group of people represented and celebrated? How do you think about diversity when you choose books and literacy experiences for children in your classroom?

What books are the current favorites in your setting? Why do you think this is so?

How are you currently reading aloud with infants and toddlers in your settings? What are you currently doing that you would like to continue to do, and what might you add or change?

Choose books that

include a rich vocabulary

have illustrations that amplify the text

connect to children's interests and experiences

tie in with topics you're exploring and children's questions

address a developmental issue like separation anxiety, sharing, or losing a comfort object

you enjoy reading

Encourage families to read at home. See the Reading Rockets website for printable tip sheets in multiple languages.

Think about three or four questions you can ask as you read.

Final Thoughts

When reading aloud to infants and toddlers, the goal is not to get through the book. Babies will drop books, mouth them, and open and close them as they explore. Sometimes toddlers will have an irresistible need to skip pages or even get up in the middle of a story and investigate something across the room. The goal is to make shared reading a joyful, nurturing part of the everyday routine-and to give children many rich opportunities to hear and use language as you read together. You bring the joy, and everything else will follow.

Rocking & Rolling is written by infant and toddler specialists and contributed by ZERO TO THREE, a nonprofit organization working to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers by translating research and knowledge into a range of practical tools and resources for use by the adults who influence the lives of young children.

Copyright © 2021 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See Permissions and Reprints online at NAEYC.org/resources/permissions.

References

Hayes, D.P. & M.G. Ahrens. Vocabulary Simplification for Children: A Special Case of 'Motherese'? Retrieved from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-child-language/article/abs/vocabulary-simplification-for-children-a-special-case-of-motherese/6821EFB9BA68750A095DA0BE040A8A30

Kinsner, K. 2019. "Who Am I? Sharing Picture Books that Nurture Positive Self-Identity." ZERO to THREE. zerotothree.org/resources/2789-who-am-i-sharing-picture-books-that-nurture-positive-self-identity

Montag, J.L., M.N. Jones, & L.B. Smith. 2015. The Words Children Hear: Picture Books and the Statistics for Language Learning. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797615594361.

Morrison, V., & L. Wheeler. Revisiting Read Alouds: Instructional Strategies that Encourage Students' Engagement with Text. Retrieved from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/revisiting-read-alouds-instructional-strategies-encourage-students-engagement-text.

Napoli, A.R, & V.J. Johnson. 2019. Promoting Young Children's Early Language and Prereading Skills with Dialogic Reading. Retrieved from https://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/html/g2317/build/g2317.htm

Parlakian, R. 2019. "Using Stories to Nurture Identity." ZERO to THREE. zerotothree.org/resources/2788-using-stories-to-nurture-identity

Whitehurst, G.J. 2002. Dialogic Reading: An Effective Way to Read Aloud with Young Children. Retrieved from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/dialogic-reading-effective-way-read-aloud-young-children

Wright, T.S. 2018-2019. "The Power of Interactive Read-Alouds." American Educator 42 (4): 4-8.

ZERO TO THREE. 2016. Books About Feelings for Babies and Toddlers. Retrieved from https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/7-books-about-feelings-for-babies-and-toddlers

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Rocking and Rolling. Reading Aloud with Infants and Toddlers

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It's nearly naptime, and Ms. Leda and 11-month-old Charlotte settle into a rocking chair in a cozy corner of the room. Ms. Leda reads Anna Dewdney's Llama Llama Misses Mama, and Charlotte listens with rapt attention. Ms. Leda chose this book because she has noticed that Charlotte becomes upset when her mom drops her off each morning.

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Sound and music play: why it's good for babies

Making sounds and music with babies is a lot of fun, and it's also great for baby learning and development.

When babies listen to and make sounds, they learn about their environment - for example, what birds, cars and voices sound like. Or they learn that tapping on the floor makes a different sound from tapping on a saucepan. Or that blowing a kiss makes a different sound from blowing a raspberry.

They're also learning that they can make things happen - for example, when they shake a rattle, they make noises.

Making sounds and listening to music can be a great way for babies to express and explore emotions.

And music is also great for bonding with your baby. For example, when you sing to your baby or hold them close while you dance to music, it helps to build a loving relationship.

What you need for sound and music play with babies

You can make sounds and music anywhere, anytime with your baby, just by singing and talking.

Some of these ideas might also be fun for sound and music play with babies:

toys that make sounds, like rattles, drums and things that squeak when you squeeze them

household objects that make noise when you bang them together, like pots, pans, wooden spoons and plastic cups or bowls - just make sure they're safe to suck or chew

things that crackle and scrunch, like cellophane and clean paper (avoid newspaper or paper with inks and dyes)

a safely knotted net bag stuffed with cellophane or other crackly, crunchy things

music you can sing, clap or dance to.

Our Baby Karaoke has animated videos with the words and tunes of popular children's songs and nursery rhymes. You and your child can sing along to children's favourites like 'Baa baa black sheep', 'Rock-a-bye baby' and 'Old MacDonald'.

How to do sound and music play with babies

Use your bodies to make noise. Clap your hands, stomp your feet and click your tongue.

Sing songs to your baby. They can be soft and slow like a lullaby, or fast, loud and fun when you're both feeling playful. Look at your baby while you sing so your baby can see your mouth make the words.

Hold your baby and dance to music. You can also hold your baby's hands and move them in time to the music.

Blow raspberries at your baby.

Make animal sounds and faces at your baby.

Adapting sound and music play for older babies and toddlers

You can adapt these ideas for older babies who can hold objects. For example, help your older baby make sounds by showing them how to bang pots or shake rattles. Let your baby choose which things to play with. Join in by copying the noises your baby makes, or try singing a silly song to go along with the noises.

Toddlers might enjoy instruments that are a bit harder to play, like xylophones or whistles. They might also like singing along to simple songs with you.

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Sound and music play: activities for babies 0-1 year

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Making sounds and music with babies is a lot of fun, and it's also great for baby learning and development. When babies listen to and make sounds, they learn about their environment - for example, what birds, cars and voices sound like.

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Baby's brain is constantly developing and making new neural connections. So many things around them can have a positive impact on their development-including, as some researchers believe, music!

So, why is music so impactful? We know that music engages many regions of the brain at once. It is also an important part of many play, social-emotional, communication, and sensory experiences, and can possibly strengthen those experiences.

Check out what else to expect from your baby. Follow their milestones here!

Here are some more ways music may have an important impact on your child:

Music experiences promote predictability and enjoyment

Music naturally creates a social, playful mood, which is the best learning environment for your little one. Not only will baby have fun in these surroundings, but music will also create a sense of predictability. This is because after hearing a song repeatedly, children will begin to know what to expect, when to dance, and how to sing along. Using music as a part of a routine can further help to create a sense of predictability, reduce anxiety and help with executive function development. We've seen even in the NICU, music therapy can help promote positive emotions.

Children's music activities naturally use different senses and skills

Children don't just listen to music-they sing, they use facial expressions, they make physical gestures, they get moving! This means that the impact of music is much more than sensory-it's also using motor, communication, and play skills.

Music promotes bonding

Not only does music promote socializing and play, but dancing and playing together supports moving together with the rhythm, which in turn promotes bonding. This is especially powerful if the parents, caregivers, or siblings are performing music together, as a shared goal leads to bonding as a group.

Singing to infants captures and keeps their attention

They'll naturally be drawn to the source of the singing, so it can be a great tool if you have time with your little one. This also helps get baby's attention, so babies are more open to learning when music is involved.

So how can you and your child engage with music?

Here are some easy ways to enjoy the power of music together.

Dance together!

Find ways to perform and make music together.

Consider music lessons.

Sing out loud.

Try teaching new lessons or telling stories in song.

Have regular times of the day when you listen to music, such as in the car or before dinner.

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How Music Helps Baby's Brain Develop | Track Baby Learning

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Baby's brain is constantly developing and making new neural connections. So many things around them can have a positive impact on their development-including, as some researchers believe, music! So, why is music so impactful? We know that music engages many regions of the brain at once.

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Welcome to the home of TeacherRead. TeacherRead is a book reading program designed to support the development of children's language and literacy skills in prekindergarten (pre-K). The program uses interactive instructional approaches that are most effective for teaching these skills in pre-K. The idea behind these approaches is that teachers can make simple adjustments to their book reading practices to better promote children's development of these foundational skills.

The short video below (featuring our co-Principal Investigator Jill Pentimonti) demonstrates the essential elements of TeacherRead.

Please visit one or more of the following to learn more about TeacherRead:

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Welcome to the home of TeacherRead. TeacherRead is a book reading program designed to support the development of children's language and literacy skills in prekindergarten (pre-K). The program uses interactive instructional approaches that are most effective for teaching these skills in pre-K.

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Here are three musical elements that relate to math and some suggested activity ideas to try at home.