Musical You!

In this module, we’ve explored how music and music learning can contribute to language, social emotional, and cognitive development. From learning about culture and history, to boosting language skills, music is a powerful learning tool. The type of music you choose to play with children doesn’t matter. Pick the styles of music you enjoy most. Learning to play a musical instrument is wonderful. But kids don’t need fancy musical instruments to learn about and create music. Plastic bottles filled with beans make great shakers and you can’t beat a set of bucket drums. So go ahead – sing, dance and clap to the beat! 

  • Beat
    the regular pulse of music
    Electroencephalography (EEG)
    a non-invasive method used to measure electrical activity in the brain
    Executive function
    a set of mental abilities that help us focus attention, remember information, and switch between tasks
    Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
    a non-invasive brain imaging technique used to determine which regions of the brain are active
    Meter
    a grouping of beats with specific patterns
    Neuroplasticity
    the ability to change how neurons in our brain are connected to each other
    Pitch
    the measure of how high or low we perceive sounds to be
    Pro-social behavior
    actions that are intended to help others
    Synchronized movement
    movements that occur in sync with musical beats and, or with other people
    Timbre
    the quality of a musical sound or voice that allows us to tell the differences between instruments or voices