Why Music and Movement matters in early childhood education

“When the music and dance create with accord…their magic captivates both the heart and the mind.” ~ Jean-Georges Noverre

Children love music! Whether it is soft and calming or an energetic song, children feel it both physically and emotionally. During the early years, children are learning to do new things with their bodies. Young ones are also learning that movement can communicate messages and represent actions. Music and movement are also social activities that help children feel part of the group.

Children love engaging with music and movement in early childhood education. It helps them express their feelings and emotions, helps them learn to work in groups, and develops their self-confidence and imagination. As they grow in their appreciation of the exquisiteness of music and dance, they gain a talent that will bring them great liking. Music and movement help a child’s development in many ways.

Expertise that music and movement provide:

• Gives children a chance to identify that music and dance can express moods and feelings.
• Improves children’s awareness of different movements.
• Helps with children’s balance, co‐ordination, and rhythm through dancing and movement activities.
• Helps to develop children’s fine motor skills.
• Develops children’s creativity and imagination by responding to music through movement.
• Improves children’s listening skills by noticing changes in rhythm, beat or tempo
• It helps develop social skills.

Introducing music and movement in early childhood education is must in a child’s everyday life. They add colour and life to early childhood education and to a child’s daily experiences. Music and movement provide children with so many benefits. They help children develop skills such as cognitive growth, problem-solving, self-expression and social development. Without music and movement in early childhood education, a child’s learning is incomplete.

Researchers say that music and movement for children has showed positive effects on a young child’s development. Beat, rhythm and tempo kindle young minds, inspiring pattern recognition and auditory recognition. By adding music to movement kids’ advantage so many more benefits beyond movement alone, and it is lots of fun! From developing their language, memory and social skills to creative thinking and focused listening, they also start to build music foundations such as singing in tune and moving in time.

There are so many possible learning opportunities in well-written music and movement experiences JOOPOP provides the young ones.