"Musical Tennis": Serve and Return Learning

We all love the play along time in Music Together. It is beautifully exciting to see the way kids' eyes light up as the bin of instruments is carried to the middle of the room. Even as an adult, you can’t help but get tickled at the brightly colored music makers. It can be easy to miss, in all this excitement, that this is one of the best times to connect with your child’s personal musical learning. 

During this time, no one is dictating how or when to play with the music. Instead, the child has total freedom to experiment and guide its own musical experience. We adults have the opportunity to respond to that learning. 

Watch your child closely. Pay attention to how they experiment with an instrument or interact with a particular beat in the music. Maybe they are dancing instead of playing an instrument! Respond to these ideas.

If your child picks up a drum, find a drum so that you may play along with them and respond to their musical ideas. If they are dancing, don’t be afraid to get up and dance too. When you respond to your child like this, you create a perfect environment for them to learn.   

Many neurological connections happen when a child acts on an idea, and then has that action affirmed through repetition and interaction with another person. This back-and-forth between child and parent creates a healthy “feedback loop” that solidifies a learned action. 

This idea of “back-and-forth” works almost like a tennis game between child and parent.  Experts in early childhood development and neuroscience call this interaction: “serve and return” learning. 

This “serve and return” can be very simple. If your child is shaking a maraca in a particular way, return the gesture. If your child is dancing and using a strange movement to the beat (don’t be afraid to look silly) go ahead and mirror that rhythm and gesture. You can affirm a learning moment through your demeanor, facial expressions, and actions. 

Look for ways to enter this “tennis game” of learning with your child. And next time you hear the play-along music begin, seek out a chance for you and your child to “serve and return” a musical idea!

Little Singers: Higher Voices

Did you know that your child’s voice is higher than yours?

We adults naturally have a lower speaking and singing voice than children. Our vocal cords are bigger and therefore have the ability to make lower sounds. We physically can’t make some of the high-pitched sounds that kids make. I am sure you have noticed this around the house, and on the playground!

This is similar to the difference between the big double-bass and the smaller violin. The smaller instrument, with the shorter strings, makes the higher sound.

Have you ever noticed your Music Together teacher check a note before they begin to sing? This is because all our music is set in a perfect place for children to sing. We are making sure to start in the right place. Not too high, and not too low.

Your child’s vocal cords are so small that 

they are about as long as a dime is across.

As they grow, this will change.

Girls will eventually have vocal cords that are about as long as nickel is across.

Guys will have vocal cords that are about as long as a quarter is wide.

Even if it may seem silly to meet your child’s pitch, let them sing where they are comfortable. They will probably choose to sing songs a bit higher than you would naturally choose.

Enjoy those high voices! Even though they may make piercing sounds at play, this is the only time you will hear your little one singing in their “child voice.” 

Potty training: Rig-a-Jig-Jig, and go!

Transitions are never easy. Potty training. Sleeping alone in a “big bed.” Beginning preschool. That first long road trip. The list goes on and on. Difficult moments, piled up with successes and frustrations. There is no end-all answer to making these times easy. The ups and downs are inevitable. But, music can help.

Music can help form rituals, and can help process emotions. Singing songs can help with reminders, and using a special song for an activity can help form habits.

Potty Training. This is one of those things that is easy for some, yet it can be a huge frustration for others.

If your kid has difficulty deciding to go potty, you can use a song to focus, and decide if you need to “go.”

“Rig-a-Jig-Jig” works well as a word substitution song. Try sitting on the floor and asking “Do you need to go potty?” Then sing together:

Do we need to potty now,

Potty now,

Potty now?

Do we need to potty now?

Hi-ho, Hi-ho, Hi-ho!

You can also use:

Here we go to potty now…

Now we need to wash our hands…

Now we need to dry our hands…

Feel free to make up verses if there is difficulty remembering things like flushing, wiping, pulling up pants, etc.

If you can sing about it, you can help make these healthy habits. And just maybe, some of your reminders to “go potty” can be humorous and fun, instead of frustrating!