Learning music is just like learning a language – it requires constant immersion.

Children learn how to speak by being continuously immersed in language while their brains absorb the sounds around them. So, you can imagine the language delays a child would experience if their parents didn’t speak to them! The same concept is true for music, and the key to encouraging your child’s musical growth is in your hands! 

Parents instinctively know to talk to their child, even when their child is not yet old enough to talk back. But many parents don’t know to do the same with music. But don’t worry – we’re here to provide you with ideas on how to create the immersion necessary for your child’s music development. For starters, singing, dancing, and listening to music throughout the day is the optimal way to promote music development during the first few years of life.  

Below are a few simple ways you can enjoy music with your child every to nurture their music development - and have fun doing it!

• Listen to recordings and sing along in the car. 
• Pull out some old pots and pans for your child to play along with while you’re cooking in the kitchen. Sing a song and encourage them to keep the beat.
• Dance together! 
• Sing a lullaby when it’s time to go to bed. 
• Sing about whatever it is you’re doing. Routines like mealtime, changing diapers, and clean-up time, all go better with music.  

Implement these immersion tips at home and you’ll also see your child’s enjoyment of Music Class soar. When discussing the importance of immersion with families in my class, I like to ask the adults, “How many times per week do you listen to your Music Class recording?” Together we see that those families who listen just once or twice a week are the ones with children who tend to wander and not be focused during class. On the other hand, those families who listen four, five, or more times per week are the ones with children who are super engaged in class. Repetition has helped those children understand and enjoy the sounds on the recording, resulting in an obvious love of music! 

The takeaway? Immersion in music is the best technique for nurturing your child’s music development!