How singing helps your child's development

A "moo moo" here and a "moo moo" there. Do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around. When it comes to children's songs, is this really what it's all about – simple, silly lyrics that are fun to sing over and over again with little more to them than that?
   
According to the parenting and child development experts at Invest in Kids (a national Canadian charity aimed at helping parents improve their parenting skills), these traditional classics, sung routinely with our kids, have tremendous benefits.

Invest in Kids created a thorough, research-based approach to parenting that transforms everyday parent-child routines and activities – like singing favourite songs – into teachable moments that actively support a child's healthy social, emotional and intellectual development. The approach, called Comfort, Play & Teach: A Positive Approach to Parenting, is based on the simple premise that when you comfort, play with and teach your child every day, you open a world of possibilities for you and your child.

Parents and their kids love singing songs together like Old MacDonald Had a Farm and The Hokey Pokey. Making music and movement a regular part of children's lives supports their development in joyful ways and brings beauty into their lives. 

When you're singing a song together like Old MacDonald Had a Farm, here's how to implement the Comfort, Play & Teach approach:

If you do this:
Comfort   
Repeat the song several times. Each time, encourage your child to say the name of a farm animal that she knows and make each animal's unique sound (e.g., baa, cluck, oink, quack, woof-woof or gobble).

Your child will:
Feel more and more confident with the special attention you pay to her when singing this familiar song. Older babies, who are now using about 10 or 20 words, will proudly demonstrate what they know about animals and the sounds they make.

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