As your child listens to or creates music, you will see her express her physical abilities and emotions by how she moves her body. Music is appealing to your child as well because it is something she can do independently. By showing her independence and expressing her creativity, your child is able to learn more about herself.
Developing a personal preference for different types of music starts when you are young. When children listen to certain styles of music repeatedly, they learn to like or prefer one style to another. This preference carries through to adulthood. Based upon this, it is very important to expose your toddler to many different types of music so that her repertoire will not be limited to only one genre.
Music will enable your child to develop physically as well. This can be observed when you see your child shaking her hips from side to side or when dancing with her legs slightly bent and apart. Your child is developing her large muscles in the hip area, strengthening her leg muscles, and continuing to develop her balancing skills.
You can encourage your child to move to the rhythm of the music by counting with her as she shakes side to side (“One and shake, two and shake, shake, shake, shake.”). By doing this, you encourage math skills as well.
Music really does open the mind and stimulate the body!
