Resources on Early Learning

Tip Sheets

It's happening again! You're running errands with your children and suddenly you're stuck-in traffic, at the clinic, in the checkout line. Many parents find that playful learning activities can help reduce children's impatience when they have to wait.

Music, sound, and movement can ease the waiting time blues!
Creative movement helps children focus physical energy. Music involves math and the science of sound. When children sing, they often learn new words and gain a better understanding of language. And making music is one way to create beauty and have fun with other people.

Move to the beat. Children can enjoy music from around the world. Even in a car seat, your child can:

• tap, clap, shimmy, sway, or wave a ribbon in time to music
• make fingers or toys march, dance, or "direct the orchestra"
• pretend to play band instruments
• do fingerplays such as "Eensy Weensy Spider"
• copy movements of other family members

Sing along. It's best to do this when you will not disturb anyone else. Some parents keep a reminder list of favorite songs in a purse or backpack. Family members can:

• take turns choosing songs to sing together
• hum, chant, sing harmony, or "lip-sync" for variety
• make up songs about what you are doing
• sing along with audiotapes or CDs your child chooses from the library

Listen. Investigate sounds together! Sounds may help tell a story, as in Sergei Prokofiev's symphonic fairy tale "Peter and the Wolf." Your child's listening skills may grow when you help her understand terms like:

• pitch: Is a sound high or low?
• volume: Is a sound loud or quiet?
• duration: How long does the sound last?
• rhythm: Are there patterns to the sounds? Listen for heels clicking on a floor, the noise of the washing machine, the beat of a drum.
• tempo: How rapidly do the sounds change?
• mood: What feelings does the sound create—joy, excitement, fear, relaxation?

Create sounds. Again, be sure not to disturb anyone else. Family members can:

• make sound effects with voices, fingers, objects, or instruments
• imitate animal voices or machinery sounds
• make up sound patterns for each other to copy ("tap-tap-clap, tap-tap-clap")
• listen to the rhythm of your own heartbeats and breathing
• practice "making silence"

Find more information about music and young children at these Web sites:

• Music Appreciation: A Universal Language for All Ages
  http://www.naeyc.org/ece/1997/25.asp
• Multiple Intelligences: Gardner's Theory
  http://www.ericdigests.org/1998-1/multiple.htm
• Singing as a Teaching Tool
  http://www.naeyc.org/ece/2004/01.asp
• Learning with Music
  http://www.naeyc.org/ece/2001/10.asp
• “On the Go”
  http://www.walearning.com/PDF/OTG.pdf
• IEL Interactive Chat: My Child Loves Music but I Can't Carry a Tune in a Bucket: Web Resources
  http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/harwood/index.htm

The opinions, resources, and referrals provided in this Tip Sheet are intended for information purposes only and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We advise parents to seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider with questions regarding their child’s health or medical conditions.

Spanish: Cosas que hacer mientras se está esperando: La música, el sonido y el movimiento

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