How to Have Fun Improving Your 3-4 Year Old’s Language Skills

Informal musical experience at home contributes to young children’s language development!

The results of a significant Middlesex University study provide striking evidence that informal musical experience at home is associated with language development in children aged 3-4. Home singing and music-making can serve as effective scaffolding for acquiring verbal skills - even if parents do not have any particular skill in music.

Melody was particularly associated with language, grammar and tempo; rhythm and perception of beat were consistently associated with awareness of phonology (the way sounds function within language). 

The finding that home music activities have unique potential for transfer to language learning in the early years is well-supported by other studies cited in the article’s bibliography. Home music-making was also shown to play a supportive role in achieving learning goals such as understanding numbers through counting songs, making everyday activities more enjoyable, soothing, providing distraction, and regulating behaviour.  

The level of the parents' education did not influence the effect - all parents can help their child's language development through music, even if they are not musically educated themselves.

Three conclusions were reached by the researchers: 

• distinct musical and linguistic skills are linked in young pre-schoolers
• informal musical input at home has an impact on the development of complex language skills in 3- and 4-year-old children 
• 3no matter what the parents’ own musical skills, musical experience in the family predicts and enhances 3-4 year children’s language development.

The researchers said these findings paved the way for the development of dedicated musical activities centred particularly on the aspects of music found to best support pre-schoolers’ language learning: tempo, melody, rhythm and beat. Parents can find the right kind of musical activities to support their child's language development at Music Playtime, a new website full of fun things to do, whether you are a parent or a teacher!

Picture - jelleke-vanooteghem-unsplash