Benefits Of Music for Brain Development in Children

Many years before formal schooling existed, civilizations used music to teach language, pass culture, and conduct social practices. Ancient communities used chants and rhythms to work, pray, and teach history. Lullabies were used to calm infants and bond with them. Music in its different forms, patterns, and melodies were an integral part of daily life that formed the bedrock of cultures and civilizations.

Today, in the UAE, music has become a bridge among the diverse populations that live here. Not just Arabic and English but even Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, and more. It not only sounds good to the ears but music also plays a significant role in child brain development.

In this blog, let’s explore music's role in a child's cognitive development.

What Does Music Do to the Developing Brain?

• Language - The ears are trained in language through tunes. Imagine a child clapping to a beat or singing along. These supposedly simple activities help them fine tune their pitch, timing, and phonological awareness. This is the same skill that helps them differentiate between a “p” and “b” or track syllables in vocabulary.  

• Attention And Self-control - Following a beat requires starting and stopping at the right moment, which taps into executive functions such as focus, inhibition, and working memory. These are essential for reading, problem-solving, and classroom routines. 

• Memory Power - Melodies are memory hooks. In fact, music can be associated with strong feelings and events in one’s life. That is why the alphabet is taught as the “alphabet song.” The tune helps children recall sequences, patterns, and facts. 

• Motor Skills - What better way to work on motor skills than to link movement to music? Dancing or playing instruments coordinate the senses, supporting balance, fine-motor control, and spatial awareness. 

• Creativity And Confidence - Children who explore sounds or perform in small groups practice decision-making, collaboration, and self-expression. Thus, music helps fan creativity and build confidence.  

• Foundation for Math - Music is fundamentally a mathematical system, relying on patterns, timing, and formulas. Music stimulates spatial-temporal reasoning, which is the same brain function used in mathematics.
  

Practical Tips for Families

• Rely on Daily Rhythms – Start mornings with a short “hello song” or “brush your teeth song.” Invent a family song to sing during happy moments. Predictable musical cues help children transition from one activity to another, creating joyful moments on the way.  

• Songs In Different Languages – There is no dearth of options in the UAE with picking tunes from different languages. Try Arabic rhymes, English lullabies, Hindi songs, etc. to help your child develop a varied taste in music.  

• Move To the Beat – Try free-style dancing, traditional dance forms, or simple clapping games. Nothing stimulates the brain more than movement and rhythm combined. 

• Create A Mini “Sound Lab” - Get creative with household items and have your child join you in producing novel tunes. Offer safe shakers, a small drum, wooden spoons, or a child xylophone. Let them pick what they like and encourage experimenting with the sounds.  

• Make Music Fun – Visit musical spaces, community events, cultural festivals, and child-friendly performances (from school recitals to community centers). This will help children see music as a shared social experience.
  

Music And the Early Years Classrooms 

In high-quality early childhood settings, music is used as an essential tool for learning. It is woven into the day through greetings, circle time, and educator-led sessions that link music to subjects that form the core of different fields of study later in life. For instance, counting can be linked to math, pattern recognition to science and computer science, and storytelling to languages. The foundation for all these subjects has an indirect correlation to music during the early years. Exploiting this easily available tool in classrooms can have several positive effects on a growing child’s brain.

How Does Dibber Support Brain Development Through Music?

Music is more than just entertainment. It is a vital ingredient in nurturing healthy, curious, and resilient young children. From strengthening memory and focus to fostering creativity and emotional well-being, the benefits of music for brain development in children are profound. At Dibber, educators embrace music as part of daily life to give children tools that last far beyond childhood, shaping how they learn, communicate, and connect with the world.

To know more about how we offer enriching experiences to early years, we welcome you to visit one of our centers in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.