Not only is music an enjoyable part of life, but it’s a great tool to help children learn. In fact, children who are deaf or have some degree of pediatric hearing loss can use music as a way to improve their speech and language skills.
Music Lessons Improve Cognitive Performance in Deaf Children
Previous studies have shown that music lessons improve cognitive abilities in normal-hearing children. To see if music provided the same benefit for children who were hard of hearing, researchers examined the effects of music on learning by comparing two groups of profoundly deaf children.
The first group participated in weekly music lessons for a period of 1.5-4 years, while the other group did not. The results showed that deaf children who participated in music lessons exhibited better auditory perception and cognition and were better able to discern sounds.
Language Delays in Pediatric Hearing Loss
A huge part of how children develop their speech and language skills is through being able to hear others speak and distinguish sounds. Because of this, children with hearing loss often have delays in their speech and language development. This may mean they are slower to start babbling or speaking their first words, and they may also take longer to learn to read or struggle to speak or understand more complex sentences.
These delays can not only have a negative effect on your child’s academic performance once they enter school, but they can affect their ability to communicate with others as well. This can make it more difficult to form friendships with their peers and lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Thankfully, things treatment with pediatric hearing aids or cochlear implants, working with a speech therapist and utilizing additional tools like music can help bridge the gap and help your child meet developmental milestones.
Ways To Incorporate Music into Everyday Life
In addition to signing your child up for lessons at the Tyler Music Academy, there are several other ways you can incorporate music to help your child improve their language skills and sound recognition.
- Use visual cues. When singing to your child, pair visual cues with the words you are using. For example, if you are singing a song about farm animals, you could use stuffed animals or figurines to help your child connect the word and the object.
- Make music a part of your routine. Having a song you sing or play when it’s time to clean up or get ready for bed not only makes these activities more fun but helps your child connect words to actions.
- Encourage them to sing. During sing-a-longs, it can be helpful to pause or leave space for your child to fill in certain lyrics on their own to keep them engaged and help them practice speech sounds.
For more information or to schedule an appointment for your child, contact SoundLogic today.