Are you ever amazed that you can never seem to remember to put the laundry in the dryer, but yet can recite every lyric of Disney’s Frozen soundtrack on the spot? While the irony may seem humorous, there is actually some truth behind music’s power to improve one’s cognitive abilities. This being said, one of the earliest examples of music’s benefits can be found when we think of the nursery rhymes we listened to as kids. Though the songs may seem trivial now a days, with the rise of technology, nursery rhymes still play a huge part in children’s development as well as in therapy!
Reciting Vocab with Repetition
While it may drive mom and dad crazy to listen to the same nursery rhyme about the insane amount of livestock some guy named MacDonald apparently has on his farm for 2 hours on the car ride home, the repetition is actually doing wonders for your little one. With the simplicity of nursery rhymes, it is an easy way for your children to not only enhance their musical ability, but their range of vocab and word association as well! Children learn through repetition (reason why they want to watch The Lion King 21 times in a row) and use it as a way to absorb information. So even though it may drive you a bit buggy, having those nursery rhymes on repeat is actually helping your child understand the world around them.
Memories through Music
One of the most painful experiences someone can have is watching the struggle of a loved one who develops Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. It may seem like they are slipping away, but the power of music often can bring them back to a memory from their youth or a time you shared together; similarly to how a particular love ballad may bring you back to your first dance at your wedding. Music creates numerous connections within the brain that unlock as well as develop various gathered information. Even something as simple as playing the nursery rhyme The Wheels on the Bus, could bring them back to the bliss they experienced as a child, or even a beloved memory they had watching their children grow.
Communication through Recitation
If you’re a parent of a child with Autism, you may find that your little one might have difficulty finding a way to communicate how they are feeling or struggles with socialization. Nursery Rhymes are a great and fun way to potentially help your child feel more comfortable in social environments and even an outlet for communication! The advantages from the repetition of rhythm and lyrics is not only an advantage towards their speech and language, but also to their learning and reading skills. Nursery Rhymes are a creative outlet for bonding and education for any child!
Didn’t know nursery rhymes had such great benefits, thank you.
Rhythm and rhyme and harmony. (where does that song come from?) Drift Away – I love Google.
This is why music class is so important in schools. For all the reasons you stated and more, it helps young minds develop.
A very interesting post My grandson is autistic and he responds well to nursery rhymes Thanks for posting