Self-expression is vital in nurturing a child’s holistic development, fostering not only their social, emotional growth but also thebroadening of both their cognitive powers and physical capabilities. In order to thrive in a home or learning environment, a child should feel that their self-expression is welcomed and encouraged. I’ve been thinking about the musical potential in young children this week, in the lead up to a webinar I will be co-presenting on the theme of music in the classroom as a response to trauma. One of the first ideas to cross my mind as I attempted to gather my thoughts is that, just like in language development, a young child’s interest in producing music of their own can often surface before their ability to focus on listening to music that is made by others emerges as a refined skill. If you work in a Montessori 3-6 room, you will hopefully be reminded of how writing (self-expression) usually precedes reading (interpreting the thoughts expressed by others) when the child’s development is respected and allowed to reveal itself in accordance with natural tendencies.

And so, it is no wonder that children often want to join in with us when we sing…even if they have never heard the song before and can not predict the flow of either the words or the music! Children are naturally predisposed to expressing themselves; music offers such a wonderfully flexible way of supporting this desire!

By all means, let’s let children enjoy the sound of their own voices. Before they are ready to harness their energies on analyzing and reproducing what they hear, let’s allow them to fall in love with the process of music-making itself. After all, when Plato referred to music, he stated that “the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.”

What a beautiful way to approach the phenomenon of music! It is appreciated and produced in all cultures. Music nurtures us, soothes us, excites us and often unites us. I hope you will find the time to join me for this upcoming free webinar on October 15.

You can find more details here.