Question: How does a music-curriculum benefit young children?

Answer from the Expert: 

Did you know that a music-infused curriculum is one of the proven ways to go about early childhood education?  

In a joint-study by Kinderland Preschool and the National Institute of Education, music was shown to “contribute to preschool-age children’s awakening to different subject matters, particularly to reading and writing.” Research has shown that music-making catalyses better performance regardless of socio-economic background, and children fare better in reading proficiency among peers of the same age compared to those with no music involvement.
 
Young children who have had music experience before they start school are shown to often have an edge over their peers in areas such as vocabulary and reading. Early exposure to beats and rhythms also aids children in visualising topics in math, such as multiplication, division, patterns and fractions. 

The presence of black and white keys on the electones and pianicas, which we use as a part of our signature Children’s Music Programme, enables children to identify patterns and improve their understanding of mathematics through numeracy. 

Young learners who are exposed to music education hone their fine and gross motor skills as they nimbly handle instruments and strike musical keys precisely while following the rhythm of the music. These skills are critical for the young as they enable children to learn to move in a controlled, coordinated, and efficient way. When playing in an ensemble, the young ones will also pick up communication skills as they improve their ability to express feelings better and cultivate an appreciation of teamwork. This includes cooperating and compromising on who gets to play which instrument, contributing to the music, and working as part of a collective to create one sound. 

Different music genre also plays an unspoken role in managing children’s temperament. That is why at Kinderland, our children are exposed to music from infancy. Through their continuous preschool progression in Kinderland, our children not only benefit from skills of playing music, but also in other areas such as building social-emotional skills and active listening amounting to greater self-confidence.
 
Kinderland’s music-infused curriculum is built around the K.I.N.D.E.R. multidisciplinary lands - Kineticland, Intelliland, Natureland, Digiland, EQland, cReativeland, covering six developmental domains based on learning areas identified by the Singapore Ministry of Education, in the Nurturing Early Learners framework.

• Kineticland – Strengthen motor skills through physical activities 

• Intelliland – Hone children’s language and literacy through curated programmes 

• Natureland – Spur inquisitive minds through discovery of the world

• Digiland – Understand numeracy and build logical thinking for application in real-life 

• EQland – Develop character by refining social and emotional skills 

• cReativeland – Encourage creative expression through arts 

Our K.I.N.D.E.R. multidisciplinary lands act as a strong foundation for life in our preschoolers as lasting values are built within them - curious, caring, capable, creative, confident and communicative.

The Expert:

Dr Carol Loy
Director of Curriculum & Professional Development, Kinderland International Education
Kinderland Academy & Preschool​