Music is humanity’s oldest form of communication: It’s been used for millions of years and is commonly referred to as a “universal language”. Music brings communities together and can unite people! It also has a profound effect on brain development in all stages of life and can clearly be used as a tool in many instances.
In reference to a child’s brain development, music training can increase maturity in a child’s brain and can help them develop other areas of their brain at a faster rate. For example, children who take part in music training, like violin lessons, will likely mature faster and gain a larger skill set otherwise not found in the average child.
Furthermore, music therapy has shown to have a significant effect on overall relaxation and even respiration rate. Music has been noted to further reduce anxiety levels. Due to this, music interventions can provide opportunities for:
Anxiety and stress reduction
Positive outlets for changes in moods and emotional states
Non-verbal outlets for emotions associated with traumatic experiences
Relaxation for family groups
Positive physiological changes, like lowering blood pressure, reducing heart rates, and relaxed muscle tension.
Children are the future of the human race! How they develop, learn, and grow matters a lot. The most important time in brain development occurs during a child’s early years - when their brain's plasticity is at its highest, thus making it the perfect time to nurture their growing minds through musical training. Don’t just take our word, various studies have been conducted, like the one USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, which performed a five-year study focusing on how music training can change the structure of both the brain's white and grey matter. The study found that children who had experienced, just as little as two years, musical training tended to have more mature brain development in areas that dealt with sound processing, language development, speech perception, and reading skills. All these skills activate areas of the brain, such as the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and parietal lobe. Furthermore, the study found that the children in musical training showed higher amounts of brain development than those who played sports, so music is truly highly beneficial to the development of children’s brains!
Connect with Ducklings Preschool
At Ducklings Preschool, we strive to create a loving, caring atmosphere in a safe and friendly environment! We want to support all children to enable them to achieve their best. In order to do this, many steps are taken to support them through their learning journeys during their time with us. Additionally, Ducklings goes a step further! We provide a ton of free resources for you to use while at home! These can be found on our website, under the Ducklings Activities tab, https://www.ducklingspreschool.co.uk/activities as well as on our blog! Keep checking these platforms regularly, to gain insight into activities like art, literacy, mathematics, cooking, gardening, and so much more!