The Importance of Music in the Classroom

So by now, you're classroom should be up and running and ready for your students.  Now lets move on to some academic activities that will enrich your students learning, growth and development.

This week I would like to begin working with music.  Music usually appeals to most children.  But more importantly, music is not only something fun for the kids to do, it also benefits their development and growth.  Psychologists, neuroscientists, and Early Child Development experts have proven that music helps children's "brain cells make the connections needed for virtually every kind of intelligence (Kidermusik)."

Kindermusik also states that music helps children to:

• "...gain the phonological processing, spoken language, and comprehension skills that are the foundation of reading."
• "...build the spatial-temporal and reasoning skills required for math, science, and engineering."
• And "...develop social and emotional skills that are essential for school readiness—like the ability to regulate their responses and relate to others in complex ways."

I would also suggest including hand motions in the song that you decide to teach you're students.  This way they are developing the skills noted above while also practicing fine motor skills and challenging their memories.

Below I have inlcuded some videos of one of my students and me.

For additional information, I suggest visiting Kindermusik.