How to Teach Young Children to Sing

Little children love to sing! And singing helps develop a child's language skills, social skills, creativity, and fosters self-esteem and learning. Anyone can help their toddler or preschooler begin to sing. You don't have to have a great voice, great rhythm, or even a piano. All you need is some simple songs, patience, and a sense of humor.

I simultaneously cringe and giggle when I hear a young child emulating Brittany Spears or Snoop Dog. You bet it's funny, but it isn't age appropriate and it's probably not good for them to learn such adult concepts. And it's really not good for their voice to try to sing like an adult does. So think about what's important to a young child's development (Shake Groove Thing? No way!) and what their voice range and vocabulary can reach. Try to think of songs that relate to your child's life and development, such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or the Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Make sure the songs you choose are simple. Songs with a lot of repetition - thing B.I.N.G.O. are great for young children because they are easy to learn. Also think of songs that have a very simple melody. "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah may not have a lot of words, but it sure does have a lot of notes! Instead, try "Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah" which has just a few words and a very simple melody. If you want to get creative, choose a simple melody (such as Jingle Bells) and put some very simple words to it, just like Elmo does. (Fish fish fish.... Fish fish fish....). There are lots of children's CD's available, but make sure you preview any new music to see if its appropriate for your child.

When you go teach your child the songs you have picked, try having them repeat the words after you, one phrase at a time. In other words, you say a phrase, and then your child says the phrase again.

Having them echo you will help them learn the song quickly, and help them work on speech by imitation. After they've picked up on most of the words, you can sing a phrase and have them repeat the sung phrase back to you. Then try doing two phrases at a time, then three, until they have learned the whole song. This may take time or they may pick it up quickly. It all just depends. And no matter haw many times you go over the words with them, they are likely to forget, or get them mixed up. Don't worry - just have fun and keep on singing!

Movement that matches any topic will help a child internalize and assimilate what they are learning. So any motions that match the song will help your child learn and remember the words and music more easily. Encourage your child to make eye contact with you while you are singing together. This will help him or her to be more engaged in social situations. Help them clap to the beat, stomp their feet, and dance away as this encourages coordination, muscle strength, and good old fun. Make it an enjoyable time together and don't stress if your (or their!) singing isn't in perfect pitch, or the rhythm is off, or you just aren't positive of all the words (just make them up). It's the time spent singing together that counts.

The best part of teaching your child to sing is that they will enjoy the time they spend with you. In these busy and hectic days, your child will enjoy having fun and getting to know you better. And pretty soon, they will love that new song so much they- and you- won't be able to stop singing it. And not long after that, you'll be looking for a new song to sing. And another..... And another...