Sunday, June 17, 2018

Using Music to Soothe Young Children- Part II

Hi there- and happy father's day (video of a father soothing a baby with music)! Today I'm going to conclude my talk about using music to soothe young children. Most of what I will share today is the result of asking preschool teachers (through Facebook teacher's groups) what music they use during nap time. Their answers were interesting to me because most of the studies that I've seen on the effects of music on young children are done on babies in controlled hospital environments. Many also focus on the beneficial effects of the mother's voice. Preschoolers are older, may not nap anymore at home, and are away from their home environment and access to familiar voices- they are arguably more difficult to settle than babies at times. However, any preschool teacher will tell you that a quiet rest time is necessary- usually from around 1-3pm each day. It speaks to the genuine power of music to soothe- even if it's recorded, not sung live or by the parents- that it is universally used for nap time by preschool teachers.

Soothing music creates the quiet rest environment so necessary for these youngsters, and many of the preschool teachers that responded to my query swear by certain recordings. They use the same ones year after year because they observe the beneficial effect the music has on helping their students nap. They wear out CDs- purchase new ones- or search for it online- because it's so essential to their nap time. After having having been present at many a nap time over the years, I can understand why a teacher would appreciate such a useful tool, and want to use it time and again. Remember preschoolers are experiencing so much by way of cognitive and social development- having some time to rest and recharge during the day can help those young minds cope and make it to the end of the day as happy campers. 

When sharing their nap time music, most teachers also commented on their own experience with the music as well. Was it something they could tolerate listening to over and over again? Some teachers shared that they had a few different types of music they played for variety- but that they all had a similar effect. A teacher with many, many years of experience shared that in lieu of her usual lullaby recordings, she was playing the relaxing instrumental music she had found that was on her favorite TV show instead (When Calls the Heart- the instrumental version of Christina Perri's A Thousand Years), and was happy with the results. With so many options, albums and ways to listen online, as you'll see below, whatever your musical tastes, finding something that will work for both you and child or children is easier than ever. 

Teacher Recommended Albums-

Teacher Recommended Online Streaming (YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, IHeart Radio, Online Radio)*- 
Search for these artists or types of music- Preschool Nap Time, Lullaby, Delta Wave, Meditation or Spa, Disney Lullaby, Disney Instrumental, Native American Flute, Enya, Piano Guys, Gregorian Chant, Relaxing Music for Deep Sleep, Coral Reef Aquarium Collection, Mindful Kids, Quiet Guitar, Violin or Harp, Brahms's Lullaby for Babies, Caribbean Steel Drums, Jack Johnson (lullabies), George Winston (piano), John Tesh (piano), Marconi Union, Ludovico Einaudi

Before I go, I wanted to give you a list of some other links to check out. These are artists and projects I recommend learning more about if you are interested in soothing music for children and families, including music in Spanish! Tune in next week for my article on early learning adventures to do during the summer!

*I recommend finding something that doesn't have ads (they can startle).

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