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Writer's pictureMelanie Cossins

7 Reasons to sing in Early Years

I have worked with many children from babies to year 6. What is really noticeable is that those who sing or learn music have much better listening skills and memory than those who don’t. Get singing into your daily routine need not be difficult.

Whether you work with Early Years or Primary age children singing is the best way to get children listening. Singing helps memory and retention skills.

Here are 7 reasons why singing is fantastic for children.

  1. Singing is the easiest way to teach musical concepts to children. It is multi-sensory, available to everyone regardless of socio-economic factors and enjoyable.

  2. If children are exposed to concepts while singing, it is easier for them to learn them when they are formally introduced later on.

  3. Singing and music learning activates the brain and is known to link neural pathways between the left and right hemispheres in the brain, increasing children’s development in reading, literacy and numeracy skills.

  4. Singing is social. It builds bonds, increases confidence and self-esteem.

  5. Songs and chants are a natural way to develop oral language, auditory memory, and fluency and nurtures phonological awareness (alliteration, rhyming, rhythm, phrasing etc).

  6. Children are able to use their imaginations and create pictures in their brains when they sing. This is an important part of reading comprehension.

  7. Repetition is a key to learning.

When you sing remember:

  1. Be confident. The more you sing the more confident you will become.

  2. Sing in your normal voice but not too low.

  3. Model best singing as much as possible.

  4. Encourage children to sing on their own. If they are not confident then sing together.

  5. Singing songs which have two or three pitches (or notes) are easier for children to sing particularly if they are descending in pitch.

Enjoy singing and let me know how you get on!

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