Developing "little singers" from 12-24 months!

Musical Parenting Tip:  Sing Sol-Mi Songs with Your Child (like the ones on your Kindermusik CD and that we are learning to sing in class)

What is a Sol-Mi song? It's a song that makes good use of the sol-mi interval (also knowns as the 5-3 interval in a basic chord). This musical interval is the easiest for children to hear and then sing as their very young voices are developing. So sing song with this interval and sing them a lot! (i.e. Eggs away, Eggs away...)

Why?

• 'Young children often cannot distinguish between their speaking and singing voices, and thus sing in a kind of speaking drone.  Children should be encouraged from a young age to explore the upper, or head voice (upper adjustment), and employ their voice for singing tasks as much as possible.' - Teaching Kids to Sing, by Kenneth H. Phillips
• According to Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine (Dec/Jan 1999), singing with and to your child can:
• calm when upset, soothe fears, and reduce irritability;
• enhance a child’s grasp of language and sense of beauty;
• remind a child that he/she is cherished and loved;
• improve communication and intimate bonding between parent and child.

How?

• One way to encourage your child to sing, is to sing, yourself!  Singing to a child is a priceless gift.  It doesn’t matter if you feel like your voice is not star quality; to your child, the sound of your voice is the best sound in the whole world. 
• Play the Little Bo Peep, peekaboo game!  Sing ‘Bo Peep, little Bo Peep, now it’s time for hide and seek’ on the notes ‘Sol & Mi’ (use the notes G & E to start).
• Watch this Farm Sounds video.  Enjoy copying all of those animal sounds with your voice.  How does your child react?  If he makes a sound in response, keep the game going by imitating the sound she made, yourself! 
• Play a movement game by moving a scarf or small towel from home to the Wind in the Corn song (from the Big Red Barn CD).  Can you add windy sound effects with your voice?  Invite your child to make windy sounds, too!

Want to learn more?

On our blog – how to sing to (and with) your child.