Music education for young children

Music education for young children is an educational program introducing children in a playful manner to singing, speech, music, motion and organology. It is a subarea of music education.

There are many benefits that music provides for children as they continue to grow. The benefits that young children acquire through music include social skills, emotional self-regulating abilities, cognitive benefits, and physical benefits. Socially, children have the opportunity to learn how to take turns and play with others while still playing individually, for example a band of little players each playing their instrument but yet looking at the big picture of playing with a group of little friends as well. Music also allows a smooth transitioning throughout daily activities, whether it be at home or in a classroom setting children get the idea of the following activity. Allowing children to play with others, including adults or older siblings also gives them a boost of self-esteem. Also, different songs show children the different words used for emotions and body awareness, as well as extending their vocabulary in general. Additionally, by extending children’s vocabulary they can also learn of different cultural music and languages, for some the benefit to integrate home within their care-giving setting. Cognitive benefits also include learning how to count, recognizing sequencing and patterns, phonemic awareness, memorizing different songs for different experiences, and simply memorizing songs and their pace and tone. Physically, children’s all around gross and fine motor skills grow rapidly by learning how to move their body to music, moving their bodies to actions of a song, and as they grow by learning how to hold and play an instrument.

Music education for young children is offered privately through classes and music organizations or integrated into educations private and public schools. Activities and classes can start as early as prenatally or newborn and in private education, music programs are often integrated in as early as preschool. Early childhood music education in public school settings widely varies, but music programs have been established in some schools starting in kindergarten even in remote areas.

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