Benefits of Music for Children: How Songs Support Development

Created byThe Eastside Speech Solutions team

Clinical experts

Tina CaiClinical Lead, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP)Ainsley PoulosPractice Director, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP)

The benefits of music for children include learning new words, following directions, hearing the sounds in words, remembering information and connecting with the people around them. Songs repeat language in a fun, predictable way, which is exactly how young children learn.

This guide explains how music supports development and how to use songs, rhythm and movement at home, no musical talent needed.

What are the benefits of music for children?

Music is part of daily life for most families, and it does more than entertain. Here is how it can support your child’s development.

1. Songs build vocabulary

Songs about everyday experiences, like The Wheels on the Bus, repeat a set of words many times: windows, door, horn, open, shut, beep. Hearing the same words again and again helps children learn what they mean, and songs give them a fun way to practise saying them. Nursery rhymes are great for this repetition.

2. Music helps children follow directions

Music and movement go well together. Songs like Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, The Hokey Pokey and freeze games ask children to listen and act at the same time. These are early steps towards following directions at home and at preschool.

3. Rhythm and rhyme support early literacy

Clapping to a beat, singing rhymes and noticing words that sound the same help children tune in to the sounds inside words. Speech Pathology Australia notes that this sound awareness is an important foundation for learning to read and spell.

4. Songs make language easier to remember

It is often easier to remember words when they are sung. Many of us learnt the alphabet this way. Songs with numbers, days of the week and body parts help children remember lists and sequences.

5. Music builds connection and turn taking

Singing together, playing instruments and dancing are shared, joyful experiences. They give children chances to look at you, copy, take turns and join in, which are the building blocks of communication.

6. Songs help with routines and calm

A familiar song can signal what comes next, like a tidy up song or a bedtime lullaby. Predictable songs can make transitions easier, and slow, gentle music can help some children wind down.

How can I use music at home?

You do not need to sing well or play an instrument. Children care much more about your voice and attention than about perfect notes. Try these ideas:

• Sing through the day. Make up simple songs for routines, using familiar tunes: this is the way we brush our teeth.
• Add actions. Gestures and movement help children join in before they can say the words.
• Pause before a key word. Once your child knows a song, stop before a word and let them fill it in.
• Make simple instruments. A container of rice, pots and wooden spoons, or two blocks to tap together.
• Play stop and go games. Musical Statues and freeze dance build listening and self control.
• Clap the beats. Clap the syllables in names and favourite words, like ba-na-na.
• Keep favourites on repeat. Children learn from hearing the same songs many times.

If you are curious about music as a therapy, read our guide to music therapy for kids, which explains what registered music therapists do. For more on why hearing the same songs helps, see why repetition is important, and try our listening games for kids for more musical games.

What kind of music suits young children?

Simple songs with clear words, a steady beat and lots of repetition are easiest for young children to follow. Nursery rhymes, action songs and songs from your own culture and language all work well. Singing in your home language is valuable too, because children learn language from the words you know and use with confidence. Live singing, where your child can see your face and you can pause for them, usually gives more chances to communicate than music playing in the background. Background music all day can make it harder to hear speech, so switch it off at times so your child can tune in to voices. If you are wondering how the pandemic years affected young children, our article on COVID babies and language development explains what parents need to know.

How an Eastside speech pathologist uses music

Our speech pathologists often use songs and rhymes in sessions because children enjoy them and they are easy to repeat at home. We might use a song to practise turn taking, new words, speech sounds or rhyme, then show you how to use it in your own routines.

Speech therapy for kids

When should I see a speech pathologist?

Music helps every child, but some children need extra support with talking or understanding. Consider seeing a speech pathologist if:

• By 12 months, your child is not babbling or using gestures.
• By 2 years, your child is not joining two words together.
• By 3 years, people outside the family find your child hard to understand.
• By 4 to 5 years, your child finds it hard to hear rhymes or clap syllables.
• You have any concern about your child’s communication.

A speech and language assessment is relaxed and play based, and we explain what we see in plain language. From there, speech therapy for kids can build on the songs and games your child already loves. We see families from Randwick and across the eastern suburbs at our clinic, and by telehealth across Australia.

Language assessment

Your next step this week

Use the planner above to choose two music ideas. Try them every day this week, and keep the songs the same. Notice whether your child starts joining in with a word, sound or action.