World Music Day 2018: Here’s how music affects your child at different ages

Let’s trace how babies start responding to music from the time they are born till the time they turn five years old:

Aishwarya Iyer | Published: June 21, 2018 11:15 am

World Music Day 2018 is celebrated on June 21

Humming a song can give you a quick zeal and the much-needed enthusiasm in life. Known to be one of the greatest instruments for happiness, music can lift your mood. For kids, music can be quite helpful too. Shivani Patel, an instructor who teaches ‘Zumbini‘, a ‘music and movement’ class for children aged between 0 to 4 years, tells us how music affects toddlers of different groups- differently.

‘Music helps in building specific skills at different age groups. You’ll see that a two-year-old child’s preference also will often differ greatly compared to teenagers,’ said Patel. Read: World Music Day 2018: Expert gives 5 reasons why music is good for your toddlers!

Let’s trace how babies start responding to music from the time they are born till the time they turn five years old:

 Birth to 4 months: Even a newborn baby responds to external musical stimuli. If you play a soothing tune, the baby is likely to become relaxed and quiet. ‘Lively tunes may make the baby a little more active,’ explains Patel.

 4 to 8 months: The baby starts to intently follow different types of sounds in the environment. The baby is likely to turn their head to the side from where a song is being played.

 10 to 18 months: Musical preferences start to surface at this stage. Babies will clap or show enthusiasm when a familiar and likeable tune is being played. ‘Many babies prefer vocals to instrumental music at this stage,’ observed Patel.

 18 months to 2 years: The child is just beginning to explore different musical sounds in the environment. Music on radios, TV commercials, and live music – all of it is a stimulus for the baby which it finds fascinating.

 2 to 3 years: As the baby gets more familiar with sounds, he/she will try to respond to it by bending knees or trying to dance. During this period, it is advisable to introduce babies to musical games and nursery rhymes.

 3.5 years to 4 years: The child’s awareness of music increases significantly during this period. The child will try to interpret music in different ways and it starts to become a tool for communication and expression.

 4 years to 5 years: During this stage, children are able to discuss music more eloquently. If encouraged well at this stage, a child’s interest level in music can increase.

Read: How music therapy can help heal the brain?

Image Source: Shutterstock

Published: June 21, 2018 11:15 am

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