Nurturing Your Child’s Innate Musicality

All children are born with music aptitude, or the potential to learn music. As you watch and listen to your young child sing and dance her way through the day, it’s obvious that there is music inside! You help support musical development when you…

   1. Encourage your child to be expressive musically

• Give your child special time to make music. Lay out some empty Tupperware and a selection of items like dried beans, rice, or salt to put inside. Let your child practice making new sounds with these “shakers.”
• Take your child’s lead and make music using just your bodies. Make popping noises with your mouth, clicking with your tongue, clap your hands, and shuffle your feet in a creative, fun way to make sounds.
• Play echo games with movements as well as sounds, taking turns as leader and follower.
  
  

   2. Refrain from judgment if your child uses materials in unusual ways to create music (as long as safety is not compromised)

   3. Express enjoyment and excitement for the musical creativity they share with you.

• “It’s great to hear you hum songs to yourself while drawing!”
• “That’s so fun you changed the words and made your very own song!”
• “You look so happy when drumming and clapping to different songs!”

The next time your child creates a little song or drums a beat on a pail, stop and enjoy the moment together and appreciate the way your child is expressing her/his musical ideas!