Music and Math
Did you know young children are unknowingly learning math as they participate in early childhood music and movement classes? According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, music is a highly social, natural and developmentally appropriate way to engage even the youngest child in math learning. Music and movement instruction improves children’s memory, cognitive development, learning skills and expressive ability.
Research shows that music makes your child a better learner. Our friends at Kindermusik International tell us how playing music can actually make our kids stronger mathematicians:
- Geometry – Children develop important foundations in geometry through circle dances, plays instruments, and moving body in different ways. Movement combined with words and labels like “in and out,” “up and down,” or “around and through” is helping build the spatial awareness and spatial-temporal reasoning skills that are fundamental to geometry, as well as a child’s future potential career as an engineer, a scientist, a math teacher or even an athlete.
- Patterns – Music and math are both full of patterns. Listening for and responding to simple rhymes, chants and games in music expand a child’s understanding of the patterns in math.
- Numbers – Getting “two instruments” from the instrument basket or counting steps in circle dance combine music and early math concepts. Through these activities, children gain valuable early exposure to basic math skills like counting, sequencing and one-to-one correspondence.
Music & More! is a research-proven music and movement curriculum focused on social, emotional, language, literacy, pre-math, motor skill development and school readiness for 1-5 year olds. Kiddie Academy is excited to introduce two new levels of Music & More! – Sing & Play and Wiggle & Grow. For more information contact the academy nearest you!
