Can music really
help in your child’s brain development? It is an idea slowly gaining traction
among educators and parents, but is there any truth to the claims that making
children listen to classical music, like Mozart or Beethoven, makes them
smarter?
The relationship between music and child development is a widely
discussed subject in the circles of early childhood music therapists. Dr. Liz
Inciong (a pediatrician, Fellow of the Philippine Pediatric Society and an
Associate Active Consultant of the Institute of Pediatrics and Child Health at
St. Luke’s Medical Center for 18 years) and Teacher Marah Vasquez-Estuesta of
Kindermusik International are among those who have scientific understanding of
the matter and strongly support it.
Through
extensive interaction and training with young minds, they have discovered the
role music plays in a child’s cognitive development is anchored on the theory
of Multiple Intelligence. According to this theory, a child’s intellectual
capacity isn’t solely based on and measured by verbal or mathematical skills.
On the contrary, it is in fact far more comprehensive – covering social, music,
kinesthetic and visual intelligence as well.
As Dr. Inciong states, “Music plays an important role in the development of a child’s various modes of intelligence, specifically for mental, physical and social aspects. Music helps them seek patterns in their environment, which allows them to easily recall words, phrases, even in foreign languages. They become more perceptive to sound and develop into astute listeners.”
The Sound of Music: How It Impacts Child Development
Dr. Inciong shares, “The concept of multiple intelligence creates a profound effect on how educators can approach teaching for their students. It allows us to tailor instruction to each child, to provide a wholistic approach to learning.”
Children
as young as four can absorb the potential educational benefits of listening to
music that are known to make an impact during these sensitive developmental
years. Things such as speech and language development, motor and rhythmic
coordination and even social skills are honed through early exposure to music.
But
it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to teach your children how to play an
instrument. While there’s little doubt that doing so helps their mental
development, studies show that simply having children actively listen to songs
is enough to help them reap the benefits of cognitive development and maybe
even encourage them to pick up an instrument to learn.
“The right tempo and message aids in the development of neurophysiological distinctions between sounds that develop literacy, which tangibly results in better academic results,” says Teacher Marah.
M.I. Beats
To
address this opportunity of harnessing music for learning, Dr. Inciong and
Teacher Marah have partnered with PROGRESS PRE-SCHOOL GOLD to create the first ever
playlists, based on scientific research and practical applications, designed to help build Multiple Intelligence
in the Philippines.
“As Early Childhood Music Educators, we have chosen the songs based on our first hand experience with the children. These songs were tried and tested with our students, were proven to have impact and were very appealing to them,” says Teacher Marah. “We curated one playlist each to help enhance Brain Smarts (mental development), Body Smarts (physical development), and People Smarts (Social and Emotional Development).”
To
support Brain smarts, the team chose songs that highlight linguistic
development through vocabulary building, phonemic awareness and vocal
development as a way to develop oral language and speak rhythmically and
expressively. For Body Smarts, song selections were anchored on music that can
potentially help develop fine and gross motor skills. For People Smarts, songs
focus on showing kids how to express their appreciation for friends and
practicing basic social skills such as cooperation.
M.I.
Beats is the first ever playlist specifically designed to help aid a child’s developmental
process and provide modern moms with access to digital platforms that offer it.
And to make it even easier for mothers to access this pioneering technology, PROGRESS
PRE-SCHOOL GOLD is offering an exclusive opportunity for mothers to enjoy the
exclusive M.I. Beats playlist for FREE!
For
every 1.6kg can of PROGRESS PRE-SCHOOL GOLD, you get FREE access to the
exclusive M.I. Beats Playlist on Spotify Premium for an entire month. Simply
purchase the specially-marked cans to get the unique code, visit www.multipleintelligence.com.ph to register, fill up the necessary
information and wait for the
confirmation email.
“We found that incorporating music into a child’s daily activities can help develop his different Smarts. The more exposure a child gets, the more stimulation and benefits he gains. Living in the digital age, there are now so many options and platforms for mothers to use in developing their child. The intention of M.I. Beats is to provide them the opportunity to use music as an enabler and tool in helping them build their child’s Multiple Intelligence,” ends Josteen Vega, Brand Manager for PROGRESS PRE-SCHOOL GOLD.