You Shouldn't Wait to Start Teaching Your Toddler About Music, Here's Why!
I want to start this post out by saying how much I encourage you parents out there to make music a daily part of your children's lives from the time they are born. Music Neuroscience has done multiple research studies by taking children and sending them through musical training. After that, they show how their cognition changes. Their brain has been positively changed both in how it processes things AND in the actual structure of the brain. In other words: Learning to play an instrument has a positive impact on your brain!!! It positively affects speech perception and your ability to multitask!
many times people ask me what is the perfect age for children to start music lessons. I think this varies from child to child but at age 3 children are typically ready to start the process of learning music. When teaching little ones, it is important to understand how they learn the best so you as their teacher can make the most out of your lesson with them. Children ages 3-6 do their best learning being involved in active and hands on activities. Each activity that you do should be no longer than 3 minutes long. You will have time to do about ten separate activities.
Lesson Suggestions:
Work on playing a simple scale while saying the names of the letters being played out loud
Do simple coloring worksheets that teach students fundamental piano theory at the beginning stages.
Play a song and have the students clap it out.
Get the students all singing around the piano each time a student practices a piece that has words.
Work on becoming familiar with the note names on the piano. I play a guessing game to help the student with this.
Conclude the group lesson with a game of musical chairs! I use this time as an opportunity for the students take turns to practice pieces they've been working on.
If you are a parent and have decided against putting your children into piano lessons at a young age, you can start teaching your child music TODAY! Start by playing different genres of music throughout the day while doing daily activities. Immerse your home with music. This alone has an immense effect on helping your child grow to be musically aware and form a foundation of musicality within them.
Music neuroscience-The cognitive neuroscience of music is the scientific study of brain-based mechanisms involved in the cognitive processes underlying music. These behaviors include music listening, performing, composing, reading, writing, and ancillary activities.