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How can music help develop the children you work with?

“Music is an innate intelligence. All humans naturally respond and engage in music at an early age. It depends on the environment and the support of the adults around them to nurture their musical understanding and enjoyment,” explains Helen Taylor, Head of Initial Teacher Education at Northumbria University.

Jim Clark, Head of the Academic Division of Pre and School Learning, continues “Music helps the child develop their language as they listen to the music of the spoken word and imitate this. The rhythm of movement supports children in developing a balanced physical response to activities. Emotionally and socially music is used as a glue and support for humans interacting together.”

The 3 year long Youth Music funded study, carried out by Taylor and Clark, explored the effect of music making on over 400 under 5 year olds who attended Sure Start nurseries in two Youth Music Early Years Zones. It found that children as young as two are able to memorise and learn long sequences of words, phrases and sentences, when they are attached to music, long before they can master the same skill in speech.

The research also reported that the so-called Mozart Effect never really happened, but was a misinterpretation of existing research.

The study concluded that although there is no proof that passive listening to music can affect a child’s intellectual capacity, active participation in a progressive, expertly delivered music curriculum can greatly improve a very young child’s capacity to develop skills to give them a great head-start before they progress to full-time education.

“There were many interesting outcomes across the children’s learning in music and in communication, language, mathematical skills and in the range of social, emotional, physical, cultural areas. The children were also developing a sense of musical self,” continues Taylor.

The research found that role of the musician working with the children in their natural early years setting was very important in supporting the under 5’s in developing their musical understanding, enthusiasm and enjoyment. “It was the regular and small steps that worked and allowed the children and the musicians to build a relationship,” explains Clark.

Both researchers expressed surprise with the speed of the development once the musicians and the group music making became established. “The biggest surprise was the high quality of the expressive engagement by very young children,” Taylor continues. “Whilst we have both seen young children engaging expressively from early ages, it was the added quality of this development that occurred when working regularly with the musicians.”

The title of the report Turning Their Ears On came from a direct quote from one of the early years workers involved in the research. “It helps the children and they listen to each other it’s about turning their ears on a bit more to listen to each other and enjoy it.”  What has become clear through the research is that very young children’s innate response to music can be nurtured through regular musical experiences during the pre-school years. So the music making could perhaps be better described as ‘keeping their ears open’.

The relationship between the early years workers and the musicians was found to be central to the development of the children, with both roles essential in supporting this.

Taylor and Clark’s advice for early years workers is to consult those who have experience in successful project development and allow adequate time for planning. “Early years workers need to choose musicians carefully,” explains Clark. “Musicians must understand early years and have an appropriate way of working with the children and adults in the settings.”

The research also found that the role of parents and carers is essential to the development of children. The parents’ involvement in the parent and toddler groups really helped the children to continue to develop at home what had occurred in the music sessions.

“Parents need to feel comfortable with the musician or music sessions that are provided and should be offered the opportunity to take part and learn with their children. They need to be supported in developing their own music as well as their children’s,” explains Taylor. “They need to ask questions about the way the music sessions are set up. A music session should involve the children most of the time, not be a performance by the musician.”

This article was first featured in Feedback, Youth Music's regular magazine. To find out how to receive Feedback, please click on the 'Join our Mailing List' link at the top of the page.