Music Development in Early Childhood:
Four and Five-Year-Olds
In this blog mini-series, we have covered what to expect in infants' and one-year-olds' music development, as well as two- and three-year-olds '. This post will cover our final group: four- and five-year-olds! This is a super-exciting stage where children start to reach the ultimate goal of "Independent Music Accuracy." Not sure what that means? Read on!
Music Development in Four- and Five-Year-Olds
Ages four and five are when many children will progress to Independent Music Accuracy*! So what is it?
Regarding pitch, Tonal Independent Music Accuracy means children can sing familiar songs in tune on their own and match pitches when singing along with others or a recording.
Regarding rhythm, Rhythmic Independent Music Accuracy means children can sing songs with rhythmic accuracy, match the beat when playing or singing with others, and move their bodies in time to music they are listening to.
Because pitch and rhythm are two different skills that often develop at different rates, it’s important to remember that tonal and rhythmic accuracy are not tied together. Children typically achieve tonal and rhythmic accuracy at different times, sometimes years apart. This is completely normal and healthy.
*Please note that not all children will be able to reach one or both types of Independent Music Accuracy. We are all born with a range of aptitudes, and that's ok! The best thing that you can do to help your child get there is to attend The Music Class from a young age. Being immersed in an interactive, varied, complex musical environment, practicing pitches and rhythms through many different activities, taking part in the creative practice of music-making in class and at home; all of this will ensure that your child will reach the highest level of their potential.
In addition to the behaviors listed previously, you may observe 4- and 5-year-olds:
- Singing phrases within a song, or an entire song, with accurate pitch
- Demonstrating rhythmic accuracy that ranges from occasionally matching the beat they are listening to, to consistently matching the beat
- Enjoying playing a wide range of rhythm instruments. As with body movements, rhythmic accuracy will range from occasionally matching the beat to consistently matching the beat
- Memorizing lengthy and complex lyrics
- Eagerly suggesting many activities and lyrics for songs when the teacher asks for substitution ideas. (The teacher may have to set a limit of one idea per child per song in order to control the length of substitution songs)
- Echoing tonal and rhythm patterns with accuracy ranging from rarely accurate to always accurate
- Identifying by sight or sound common instruments such as violin, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, and drums
- When comparing two pitches, indicating which is high and which is low by showing high or low with hand movements
- Indicating when notes performed are correct or incorrect when listening to familiar songs or phrases
Support Your Child's Musical Development
Children learn music the same way they learn language: exposure, repetition, experimentation, and practice with the people they love (you!). The Music Class curriculum is based on the research and developmental stages outlined above, and includes our original music to take home each session to support that repetition necessary for early learning. Our songs are beloved by grownups (not just kids), which is also necessary if we are asking parents to listen to the songs repeatedly at home. :)
If you are in Atlanta, join a free trial class at one of our 11 metro Atlanta locations.
If you are outside Atlanta, find a local center near you. We are a family-owned business based in Atlanta, with music and curriculum used by independent centers worldwide.
Preview TMC songs by streaming our compilation albums on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or YouTube Music.
I hope you've enjoyed this mini-series on music development!
See you next time in The Music Class,
-Mr. Rob
About the Author: Rob Sayer (Robert Sayer) founded The Music Class® and is an early childhood music educator with over 30 years of experience helping young children develop through music.