Music Enriches a Child Along With Other Educational Activities

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Homeschooling was not a path I had ever imagined I would take when Amber started Kindergarten.  What led us here was a series of incidents both academic and bureaucratic.  Looking back over the past 5 years we’ve done it as we head into our last year of homeshooling, has me feeling mixed emotions.  Things I could have done better, things I’m proud she’s accomplished and things I wished we would have had time to do but that never got done.

Taking everyday activities and translating them to educational activities is something that often makes ‘learning’ seem more like fun.  Of course anyone can do this, we just have the flexibility to do it in our school day instead of on weekends or sandwiched between homework and bedtime.

Younger kids can learn a lot about math, colors and teamwork from playing board games.  Older children can learn even more by making their own games.  Supply your kids with cardboard, some art supplies and miscellaneous household objects (buttons, straws, twine) and let the games begin!

Baking is always a fun way to practice reading, math and following instructions, plus finishing the assignment is always more rewarding when it results in cupcakes or cookies!

Reading aloud with silly voices and/or acting out their favorite books makes reading come alive and more exciting.  Or using paper, crayons, glue and yarn make paper bag puppets to act out the story.

I grew up with music being a central focal point in our home.  My siblings and I all took piano lessons and then when we got older got to choose an additional instrument to learn.  While I haven’t touched a saxophone in years, and my piano playing is slightly rusty, I appreciate all that music theory, pitch and rhythm taught me.

Because of its structure and progression learning a musical instrument is a great activity that has been shown to improve both math and reading test scores.  And due to the many different varieties of  music genres, there’s a lot of room for teaching with it.

A good place to start is just to get kids moving with a dance party in your living room.  Help them pick out the beat and stomp along or clap their hands to it.    If you have some toy instruments like cymbals, tambourines or drums, let them bang away.  Not only will that encourage them to seek out patterns, they’ll burn off some of that crazy kid energy that they are bursting at the seams with.

Or take some inexpensive art supplies and spend a morning at the kitchen table listening to some of your children’s favorite songs and then introduce them to some new music they haven’t listened to before.  Ask them to color, draw, paint or mold play-doh the way the music sounds or makes them feel.  Older children will certainly come up with some unique insights with this activity.  Or let them make their own musical instruments to play along with the music.

So whether your learning adventures are just starting or you’re like us and are getting ready to send your child off to college, there are many ways you can enrich your child through activities in your own home.  Once you’re ready to expand beyond that:

TakeLessons helps students and families connect with private music teachers, arts instructors and academic tutors throughout the US. Our teachers can teach in your home or provide lessons at their studio. We also offer Online Lessons, which are a popular option for busy families. Search for a teacher and sign up for lessons at TakeLessons.com or give us a call at 855-684-5482. Use the coupon code MUSIC3 to get 20% off your lessons when you book now!