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Friday, March 29, 2024

Raise Your Play IQ – Make Way for Music

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Mollie_WillisThere has been much said about music and the effect on the brain. It was not so long ago that what many call Mozart Mania found parents, parents-to-be, and even early learning professionals investigating how music can influence brain development. any of us turned to Baby Einstein and similar programs for their promise of giving our children a boost. So, you might wonder, is there any truth to any of the hype? The publication Science News gives us some insight into how musical sounds or even conversation and song can have an affect brain development prenatally and beyond.

Early Melodies and More

“Babies are born with a musical readiness that includes a basic sense of timing and rhythm,” says psychobiologist Colwyn Trevarthen, of the University of Edinburgh. Infants can do much more than pick up beats and mimic melodies. There are musings of music that babies can turn into emotional banter with adults who attend to their needs. Many moms, and even dads are guilty of speaking to little ones in an exaggerated mix of high pitched words, sounds and singing. All of which can have a lasting impact on infants who are attracted to the sounds. Mother-ease can become even more powerful when combined with attentive eye contact and joyful facial expressions!

Trevarthen and like-minded researchers call this wordless conversation “communicative musicality.” Babies’ natural musical aptitude gets them in sync with mothers (Science News, 2010).” This appears to suggest that bonding can beget musical skill building. What do you think?

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Mollie H.M. Willis
Mollie H.M. Willishttp://www.dupagechildrensmuseum.org
Raise Your Play IQ™ is written by Mollie H.M. Willis, M.S. Curriculum & Instruction, an early learning consultant to Dupage Children's Museum. Ms. Willis has more than ten years of experience in early learning including preschool administration and teaching. She can be reached through the museum at admin@dupagechildrensmuseum.org.

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