Benefits
The Benefits of Zumbini
Social/emotional development. Music and movement activities can be shared experiences that make children feel part of a group. Different kinds of music evoke different feelings and actions in children. Lively music can lift children’s spirits and make them want to get up and move their bodies. Quiet, soothing music calms and relaxes children. Children use their bodies to express different kinds of emotions—excitement, anger, sadness. Sharing a song or a dance learned at home helps children to feel good about themselves and their culture. They develop
social skills by playing musical games.
Physical development. Children work on gross motor development (moving to the music and participating in other movement activities) and explore the many ways their bodies can move. Through movement activities, they can improve large muscle skills, balance, and coordination. They strengthen small muscle skills as they learn finger plays and play musical instruments.
Cognitive development. Children solve problems while engaged in music and movement activities. They use logic and reasoning to figure out how to make a scarf fly like the wind or which instrument can be used to make a sound like thunder. They create patterns with the words they sing or chant, with the motions they make with their bodies, and with musical
instruments. Children learn about number concepts as they clap their hands and stomp their feet four times or as they sing number songs. They think symbolically when they pretend to
walk like an elephant or hop like a bunny.
Expected Musical Behavior
Birth to 4 Months
Awareness of music starts almost immediately. The baby may show his or her early awareness by responding differently to different kinds of music; the baby quiets himself or herself to a soothing lullaby and becomes more active when lively music is played.
4 to 8 Months
Musical awareness becomes more active. The baby now enjoys listening intently to all types of sounds in the environment. The baby begins showing more active awareness of musical sounds by turning his or her head or face toward the source of the music.
10 to 18 Months
Expression of musical preferences begin. The infant may begin indicating the types of music he or she likes best--many at this age prefer vocal to instrumental--as well as showing clear displeasure at music he or she does not like. Infant rocks or sways its hips to a familiar tune, although not necessarily in time with the music, and claps hands to a pleasing song.
18 months to 2 Years
Exploration of musical sounds increases. Sounds in the environment continue to captivate the toddler. Developing language skills and increasing mobility allow the toddler to seek out sounds that please him or her the most. The toddler may especially enjoy music on daily TV or radio programs or commercials and may watch with fascination as a family member plays a musical instrument.
2 to 3 Years
Dance begins. The toddler now attempts to “dance” to music by bending his or her knees in a bouncing motion, turning circles, swaying, swinging his or her arms, and nodding his or her head. The toddler especially likes a marked rhythm, so band music, nursery songs, or catchy TV jingles may be favorites. The toddler shows an increasing ability to keep time and to follow directions in musical games, which he or she loves. Toddlers can now pay attention for longer periods. While easily distracted in the past, he or she can now lie or sit down quietly and listen for several minutes at a time.
3 1/2 to 4 Years
Self-expression through music increases. At this stage, very significant change takes place. As the child listens, he or she is increasingly aware of some of the components that make up his or her favorite music. The child may love to dramatize songs and may also enjoy trying out different ways of interpreting music (for example, experimenting with different rhythms). The child shows marked improvement in keeping the beat, although he or she is still not always entirely accurate. (Music is now an important means for expression and communication of ideas and emotions that may be beyond the level of developed language skills.)
4 to 5 Years
Ability to discuss musical experience expands. By now, the child can talk about what a piece of music suggests to him or her, and the child is able to tell you in greater detail what he or she is hearing. This is the stage of the “active listener.” With encouragement, the child’s desire to listen to music will increase.