ERIC Number: ED352184
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1985
Pages: 14
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Singing with Infants and Toddlers.
Honig, Alice Sterling
Singing is an important skill for the positive management of children's behaviors. Throughout the ages, caregivers have sung babies to sleep with lullabies and cradle songs. As a powerful tool to communicate care and understanding, singing to babies increases closeness between caregiver and children and nourishes an early love of singing. Singing promotes the learning of daily routines, eases separation troubles, stretches a child's memorizing power, builds motor skills, and increases group cohesion. Caregivers who are uncomfortable about singing should remember that babies are not concerned about perfect pitch or complicated melodies. Singing a simple, two-note tune or nursery rhyme is a good way to begin the habit of singing. Even if a caregiver's first language differs from that of the infants being cared for, babies will love the cadences and feelings that the songs provide. Singing soothes, gives somatic reassurance of love, awakens early humor in toddlers, and boosts early language skills. Singing should be encouraged by caring adults who can express their pleasure in the early self-made songs of babies and provide rich opportunities for babies to hear and enjoy singing by real people. (MM)
Publication Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Parents
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A