Deni Smith from Soundbops gives parents an insight into how simple activities at home can kickstart a child's knowledge of music theory.
Music can help children learn to read, as well as having strong connections with maths which also helps children's numeracy, and it can even be a great aid for children with additional support needs like dyslexia.
Why learn music theory?
So, how do we give our kids valuable and fun musical experiences?
Here's a simple answer...
Help them to learn through play! Play-based learning is an incredibly beneficial method of learning for young children.
So much so that many countries leading in education, like Finland and Scotland, are making the move away from traditional teaching scenarios of children sitting at desks and learning from board work. They are now leaning towards free-moving and open classrooms with structured play activities designed to teach concepts in a more engaging way, particularly in the early years.
So, how do you teach music through play?
Important in building an understanding of music, and identity as a musician, is to develop a good knowledge of music theory.
Here are five fun ways that you can teach your child music theory:
1. Rhythm Pairs - Create a fun matching game for learning rhythm where you match the note value name to its drawn representation and the number of beats it lasts for.
2. Melody Treasure Hunt - Hide note names from C to B around the house. Set your kids on a mission to find them, then play them on an instrument in the order you found them.
3. Roll A Song - Allocate each dice side to a note name. Roll the dice and write the note down. Roll for as long as you like and play the sequence on an instrument.
4. Listen to podcasts - There are thousands of podcasts available online now! Have a listen to some music-related podcasts and talk with your child as you do. Let them be a source of inspiration for discovering new things!
5. Pit Card Game - Music notes have various positions in sheet music. This card game is a great way to start understanding and remembering all of the different positions a note can take!
What other ways can you teach your child music theory at home?
If music theory feels overwhelming, that's okay: music can be a very difficult subject to teach if you don't have an understanding of the theory concepts yourself. But don't worry because Soundbops could be the answer for you.
We've developed our unique instrument that is specifically designed for children in their musical journey. Every month, we will send you songbooks packed full of activities, songs and games to help your child learn music theory the easy way!
What's more, we have clear and simple explanations of all of the musical concepts designed to help you learn too! That'll make it much less daunting when you're trying to help your child along the way to becoming a great musician.
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