Music helps young children’s development in countless ways including improving brain function, boosting language skills and brightening moods. In honor of NAEYC’s Week of the Young Child and Music Monday, here are three things you can do with your preschool students to get them singing, dancing and learning!
- Make Music Together As A Class
When young children make music in a group setting, they learn how to work together as a team while each contributing to the song in their own way. Set aside some time and gather your students together to create original songs. Whether they use instruments, objects or the beats from moving their hands and feet, they’ll have a blast making different patterns and sequences. - Have Your Students Create Their Own Instruments
Take music time one step further by having your students create their own instruments. For example, to make a shaker put beans or marbles between two cups and tape them together. Then have preschoolers decorate their new instrument. This will not only help them get excited about music, it will also allow them to express themselves in a creative way. - Recognize and Repeat Rhymes
When children listen to, repeat, and create rhymes, they’re building their language skills as they match the different sounds. Whether listening to recorded music or the songs you sing together as a class, point out the different rhyming words and encourage students to do the same. To take it one step further, have your preschoolers make up their own rhyming words that can go along with the song.