Our speech is made up of sounds, patterns, and rhythms, so it makes sense that being in a environment of sounds and developing a strong sense of rhythm and steady beat in the earliest years of childhood can positively impact language development. Some researchers even go so far as to make the bold claim that “[w]ithout the ability to hear musically, it would be impossible to learn to speak.”
Enter Kindermusik, where we too would agree that “…music is a special type of language” and where rhythms, songs, rhymes, and steady beat become almost as natural as breathing. All throughout the Kindermusik experience, from birth to 7 years, children are immersed in a world of communication through sound, through musically being sung to and spoken to as infants and then invited to be participants in the sound-making by singing and speaking back. In addition to singing, rhymes and steady beat activities also form some of the earliest experiences with music in this immersive environment.
Because of the process-based emphasis in Kindermusik, the learning is natural, easy, and fun. Kids and parents love it, and it doesn’t take long to realize the depth and long-lasting impact of such a rich musical environment on the development of language.
My granddaughter turned two in November, and before Kindermusik classes began she did not attempt to pronounce very many words. She generally would use a few sign language hand movements, or simply scream in different ways to communicate. In just 14 weeks she has learned that she can try to say anything she wants. I think her dramatic increase in speech is a result of Kindermusik. After her first week in class she began to sing “hello” with her CD, and began to try to make the various sounds that were introduced in a fun way. Kindermusik is a fun learning and bonding time for my grandaughter and me!