The Importance of Singing and Dancing for Preschoolers
It is obvious that the preschoolers need to sing and dance. Singing and dancing are fun activities for them as they love to move around and make noise. Music (singing and dancing) should be part of the children’s process of growing up.
Singing and dancing are fun activities for children yet have advantages for their development. By singing, children can understand language and sound. They can improve their vocabulary and communication skills. Language development is not the only benefit of music. If children have a successful musical experience they can bond emotionally and intellectually with others in a creative learning environment.
When the children dance, they learn how their bodies can move. They experiment with travelling motions such as walking, sliding and jumping, as well as other movements like twisting, bobbing and bending. Dancing uses different muscles which are strengthened more than simply standing and walking around. Through dance, children learn to coordinate and control their bodies and the movement helps them develop spatial awareness.
From the above explanations we can say that singing and dancing are advantageous for children. The benefits are as follows:
1. It engages the brain.
Musical activity involves many different parts of the brain, so singing (which involves music and language) helps develop the children’s brain. Children learn new things, like sounds, words and patterns through music. With dance, they can explore and control their body movements. These activities are great for the development and stimulation of the connections in the growing brain.
2.It allows kids to express themselves.
Playing music, singing and dancing is extremely important for children’s self-expression. Engaging in creative activities lets kids release their emotions and express their feelings. Singing together improves children’s behaviour. It helps them bond – whatever the song is or the language it may be in. They can express their feelings of joy or excitement, of being scared or proud. Children can’t always communicate their feelings through words, so it’s useful for them to have a healthy outlet for their emotions.
3. It develops language skills.
Through singing, they will improve their vocabulary and communication skills. They learn sound, rhyming words, and reading. Furthermore, singing can improve children’s comprehension of sentences and phrases. It further can improve their writing skills.
4. It helps cultivate communication skills.
Bringing together kids with songs, rhymes and actions lets them discover how to interact and connect with others. They develop listening and social skills that will give them self-confidence and better prepare them for school.
5. It helps foster physical skills.
Children learn skills like balance, control and coordination. Singing and movement is also good aerobic exercise which results in stress reduction, physical fitness and overall good health. The facial expressions, movements, coordination, gestures and balance required to act out a rhyme help children develop their motor skills.
6. It contributes to the development of creativity and imagination.
When children listen to rhymes it helps them imagine the animals or character in the song, then they can perform it based on their creativity and imagination.
7. It improves social skills.
When a group of children recite nursery rhymes, they bond better with each other as they realize that they have something in common with other kids. This helps build confidence and social skills.
8. It improves memory skills.
Repeated exposure to nursery rhymes usually results in children memorizing the rhymes. This acts as an entertaining memory exercise and lays the groundwork for an effective memory for the rest of their lives.
Creating an environment that exposes children to singing and dancing is the task of educators and parents. Here are some ways to give the preschoolers the opportunities to experience singing and dancing:
Sing together before the class starts and ends
Listen to nursery song while playing at school or at home
Listen to music in the car
Sing counting songs: Learning to count is achieved through pure repetition and songs can be a great fun way to do this. Anything that encourages children to count on their fingers, while singing, will help them along the way. You can sing “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, once I caught a fish alive, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, then I let him go again”.
Use certain songs to introduce a topic, for example: songs about animals, transportation, plants, fruits, professions, etc.
Have fun with the rhymes. You can imitate animal movements, their sounds or you can even change the lyrics.
Teaching the children to make loud, soft or even funny voices can develop their interest in singing and dancing.
If your child is ready, you can put them in piano lessons, dance classes or choir.
Getting children in singing and dancing will benefit their development in so many ways. By communicating freely with their voices, faces, and bodies, children learn to express ideas with confidence and learn to empathize with others. Whether they are singing along to a song, playing an instrument or dancing to music around the classroom, most children seem to thoroughly enjoy participating in musical activities.
Sources :
https://www.nvrc.ca/notices-events-blog/active-living-blog/5-benefits-music-and-dancing-preschoolers
