For many parents around the world, it is common to start teaching more than one language to their children, particularly in conjunction with their first and native language. For many others, its something that is left for middle/primary school, even later – during high school for a year or two, or sometimes not at all. The same applies with the introduction of music. In a recent article by Dr Aurore Adamkiewicz, Ayurvedic Doctor of Natural Health, she introduces the notion that early experience with music and foreign language has a profound effect on the performance of the brain and the entire human body. Please read on to learn more about the connection between Music and Language for our little ones…

 

Dr Adamkiewicz (NHD) reported that brain scans have now proven that the bridge between the two sides of our brain (the corpus callosum) is actually 15% larger in adults who started music lessons before the age of 8, than in those who started later.
for reference- the corpus callosum is the thick band of nerve fibers that divide the cerebrum. It connects the left and right sides of the brain allowing for communication between both hemispheres. It transfers motor, sensory and cognitive information between the brain hemispheres.

So, should we aggressively introduce music and language to our children early on?
This is an area that Dr Adamkiewicz researched with which to find answers.


What was the Answer for Music Education?
According to Dr Adamkiewicz, A child’s intellect can be both trained musically and protected. Firstly, we need to ask ourselves what our ultimate motives and goals are for our child. Then we should create an age appropriate lesson structure to honor our child to help them develop a life long appreciation of music and language.

After all – how many of us learnt music and various languages in high school to now not even be able to read a note of music, nor speak a sentence of a foreign language. 

Dr Adamkiewicz turned to an academic at the University of Michigan to get some answers about Music Learning. This is an extract of the response from her interview with the assistant Professor of Music:
“I think there is an extremely delicate balance in how one should unfold the art of playing and communicating music while teaching. Starting the child off too early with note reading, the logic of countering, and intense hand techniques will risk overload and increase a later propensity to music repulsion. Teaching the child totally by ear, too far in their intellectual development, could potentially cause enormous deficit of musical reading and writing that takes years of focus and commitment to overcome”   

Dr Adamkiewicz’s recommendation for age appropriate music learning is as follows:

From the womb to 7 years of age
Children should have music in their environment – daily.
They should actively listen, sing / be sung to, have freedom to play a variety of instruments in the household. If they begin an instrument in this time period, it should be offered with no expectations.

Age 8 to 24
From this age, it is a good time to offer more formal lessons that combine the intellectual skills with technique and theory with the listening and playing artistry of music.

What was the Answer for Language Education?

 

Posted by Mummypedia at 8:50 AM

Labels: Positive Parenting