Learning to Listen

Learning to Listen: Why Musical Play is So Important For Young Children

Today I welcome Christine Gora of Kids Music Toys with a guest post about the importance of children learning to listen.

There is so much emphasis today on the visual. Young children are bombarded with visual stimuli through television and DVD. While all of this visual entertainment may have its place and provide parents with some welcome “time-out” relief we have to understand the development of children and the development of their linguistic skills to understand the true effect of the visual and the outcome for our children. Over stimulation of the visual may be detrimental.

From babyhood, children are wired for learning language. This is not visually dependent but aurally dependent. Children naturally listen to their mothers and their immediate family. Through this they learn to speak. In fact at this age the learning of language is totally aural. Visual stimuli provide at best a secondary influence. If the predominant stimuli is visual then some children may have trouble developing language skills, simply because they have been diverted from the aural at a stage that this is critically important. The key is to provide the appropriate aural stimuli that can support language development at the time that this is crucial.

Making children aware of sound and prompting them to listen for specific things can play a pivotal part in their aural development. Musical development is very much akin to linguistic development in that both are dependent on listening and aural skills. Encouraging musical activity can focus children on the aural.

Simple music making can facilitate listening and the awareness of the differences between sounds. Some questions you can ask as you make music are:

Is that sound long or short?
Is that a wooden or metallic sound?
Is it a loud or is it a quiet sound?
Is it fast or is it slow?
Is it high or is it low?

Baby musical toys and children’s instruments have a key role to play in providing the interest and stimulation for encouraging music making and its subsequent language development. There are the contrasting sounds of bells and castanets, drums and shakers, xylophones and glockenspiels. All waiting for you to play and have fun with your child. No TV screen is required. Just your hands on contribution and the interaction with your child, always asking questions and seeking a response.

The key factor in all of this is the aural dependence. TV, DVD and such visual elements play no role, just the simple aspect of listening and responding.

Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.

Read more of Christie's adventures at https://childhood101.com.

Read the comments or scroll down to add your own:

miss carly says
February 26, 2010 at 4:06 AM

When I first clicked I thought it was going to be about us as early childhood professionals listening to children. Something I feel is extremely important :)

But oh my! Thanks for this opportunity!

I am a huge fan of egg shakers, twist drums, the fish guiro, the rhythm sticks, the plan toys oval xylophone, the voila music box hippo {can you say CUTE!} and I think I will stop now. Certain I have spent $100 there. :)

xx
Taryn Rucci says
February 26, 2010 at 4:30 AM

Thanks for posting this Christie, and what an excellent website.

I lurve the lollypop drum, so cute. I also would love one of those little clarinets. Some castinets, bells and triangles would be great too!

Thankyou for the opportunity! $100 can buy a lot on this site!
katef says
February 26, 2010 at 6:16 AM

Oooh I soooo love music with little kids.... my kids love it too!

Zoe is still adamant that she wants to learn the tambourine as an instrument at school next year - though I secretly know she'll get to play one sooner than that! Tempted to buy her one as a special surprise tho!

Oh they have some lovely CDs too, I know and like the Majors for Minors range. Oh and they have dancing scarves!!!

You know every now and then I think I'd like to teach a kids music class... *sigh* ... will stop drooling and waffling now but what a lovely site!
Amanda says
February 26, 2010 at 6:59 AM

Luci is very musical, must more so than Kez. She responds to any music, even when walking past a shop that's playing something, up go the arms and she starts jigging.

I would probably get one of these Tatiri clarinets for each of my girls:

http://www.kidsmusictoys.com.au/catalog/item/6778847/6817694.htm
Jen says
February 26, 2010 at 7:22 AM

oh i've been after some triangles for my boys!
I also saw a lil girl with the maraccas and tamberine sets in ikea on tues and was admiring!
My friends lil girl is turning one soon and i had planned to fill a basket with some lil instruments so this would be perfect.
Rizoleey.wordpress.com says
February 26, 2010 at 10:22 AM

Oh love the site. Bells and castanets for our playgroup. I love the animal looking ones. And they would make a great prezzy to add to a little outfit for a newborn or even 1 st or 2 ms birthday.
Antonella says
February 26, 2010 at 10:30 AM

Isabella is about to turn two. She has a bunch of bells and shakers which she loves, both shaking them while dancing herself, or, if she can convince me, dancing in my arms while shaking away and still somehow nursing her favourite doll! She's also just received a hand-me-down xylophone from a neighbour.

I would enhance all of this with the marching drum, a triangle, and a fish guiro, and spend any loose change on scarves. Then her second birthday party would feature a marching band starring herself and all her friends, playing Happy Birthday, toddler style. Or at least playing a joyful cacophony in a crazy procession around the lounge room, leading up to the unveiling of Grannie's birthday cake.
SquiggleMum says
February 26, 2010 at 11:56 AM

Oh no question about it - I have had my eye on the Plan toys Musical Band Drumkit for quite some time. I'm sure Reuben will be a drummer down the track! You can't go past Plan for quality wooden early childhood toys. With the leftover I'd buy colourful maracas to donate to my daughter's kindy.
helgaanne says
February 26, 2010 at 12:53 PM

Goodness, where do you start (or finish!) My kids are mad for music, as dad is a muso. The all want a guitar like dad, which would cover the $100 pretty quick.

Alternately, the scarves would be popular, as they all dance madly as soon as any music starts! I would love a glockenspiel simply for the name, as well as being a great instrument. Bell sticks, recorders, maracas, tamborines..this site is kid music heaven!
Megan says
February 26, 2010 at 1:12 PM

Wow, what a gorgeous store and a generous giveaway!!

I would get a good selection of instruments for my little one: a drum, some bells, a triangle, maracas and a tambourine. She'd definitely have some fun with those!
JenT says
February 26, 2010 at 7:02 PM

Well, in my family, my husband provides the musical education. I participate with enthusiasm so that the kids know that even when completely devoid of natural talent, you can still have fun singing, dancing and generally mucking about with loud noises, soft noises, harmonies...
I would definitely get a clarinet, a guiro, a tambourine and some scarves for each child -sounds like a party to me!
Lucy@DiminishingLucy says
February 26, 2010 at 9:03 PM

My son has some hearing difficulties so I can share for sure that, for him, learning how to listen has been integral to his overall ability to "be" in the world. SO much of this has been achieved through music!

I would pick a big big drum (the Large Marching one) for him. And jingle bell wristbands for my girls, along with a Tatiri glockenspiel for me. Becasue I love the sound of the word glockenspiel!
Julie says
February 27, 2010 at 3:28 AM

Hi Christie,

I have given you a Beautiful Blogger Award. You can claim it here -

http://www.beautifulyoubyjulie.com/2010/02/beautiful-blogger-award.html

Best,

Julie
nellbe says
February 27, 2010 at 5:29 AM

Firstly, what a great store! I just love it! Secondly, what a generous giveaway! $100 is just awesome.

I have my eye on some triangles, sea egg shakers, twist drums, wooden tambourines and kingdowm bell sticks. My boys would have so much fun with all that! Thank you.
t.lisa says
February 27, 2010 at 12:40 PM

I loved your store. I really loved the tatiri clarinets, triangles, glockenspeils, and tamborines. My son would love to create a mini parade using them.
RR says
February 27, 2010 at 7:46 PM

So great! I would definitely choose a Tatiri Tambourine. I love all the options. My little one LOVES music.
djsmummy says
February 27, 2010 at 10:31 PM

i would be getting scarves, music cds,and patterned bell sticks, my kicks love to dance and sing.
Kelly says
February 28, 2010 at 11:42 PM

I LOVE MUSIC! I think it's a beautiful way to interact with children. What a great site! Thank you for introducing me to them.

I would have to go with Plain sheer scarfs. This is an actiity I love doing with children; throwing the scarfs up to music. GREAT, now I have to buy some. lol
mamabare says
March 1, 2010 at 9:43 AM

Glockenspiels, definately. We don't have nay at preschool, but apart from that I just love saying the word!
Sally says
March 1, 2010 at 3:33 PM

Well I have just discovered that there is a difference between xylophones and glockenspiels!!!
If I won the voucher I'd get one or the other... probably not both. The Tatiri clarinet looks like a must have. So colourful (which of course is visual) and I'm sure the sounds it makes will be vibrant too. Our home needs a new tambourine after a foot recently when through the one we got for Christmas. Not to worry though - we can still shake it out to a good song :)

Thanks for the chance to win :)
Julie says
March 2, 2010 at 2:45 AM

Oh good, I'm not too late! I love the site. I'm not sure I could stick to the $100!

I would get a drum (I like the voila ones), wooden maracas, a wood block (love the sound they make), the star-shaped tamborine, a wooden recorder, and the set of castanets.

Thanks for the competition.
Cat says
March 3, 2010 at 1:07 PM

Wow, what a wonderful opportunity!

I would love the guitar for my two, from a really young age they have both loved to strum their Pop's guitar. Beyond that, we could always do with another music cd to add to the daily rotation.

And I love the idea of donating some instruments to kindy/playgroup. Our playgroup always has an enthusiastic song time at the end. The kids would adore some castanets and bells!

Thanks for the giveaway!
colleen says
March 5, 2010 at 2:29 AM

Where to start so much choice and so many instruments that would be great additions for my home daycare. But after great reflection remembered that when at playgroup the most prized turn at music time is to have the big floor drum the face of whichever childs turn it is , is priceless so my choice would be the Remo Floor Tom and with a little extra to pay would get a set of dancing scarves ... pure bliss
Kimberly says
February 14, 2011 at 10:25 AM

listening bottles make a good addition to any class room~filled with water, sand, salt, rice, rocks~anything that makes different sounds my toddlers id water very early on and often will hold up the loud and the soft and shake one then the other.

Learning to Listen

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