How music is helping North Texas' youngest learners build confidence – Good News Unit
At one North Texas preschool, the sweetest sounds of the season aren't just coming from holiday concerts. They're also coming from the tiniest hands discovering music for the very first time.
Inside The Learning Experience in Denton, children as young as a few months old are exploring rhythm, sound and creativity through a new enrichment offering called Little Musicians. And teachers, parents and researchers agree: the benefits go far beyond learning a song.
Before many of these little ones can speak in full sentences or identify letters, they're already tapping xylophones, shaking bells and softly singing along to familiar tunes.
Parent Callie Sawyer has watched both of her children connect with music before they turned one.
"My daughter Charlie started when she was two months old. My son started at four months," she said. "Around Christmas, they come home singing everything, 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,' 'Sleigh Ride,' all of it."
Research backs up what families like hers are seeing firsthand. Early engagement with music has been shown to boost language development, memory retention and even brain development, especially in the areas responsible for processing speech and sound.
For Courtney Bullock, the preschool's assistant director, music is more than a fun classroom activity; It's a developmental tool.
"Music this young helps children learn and grow by establishing emotional connections," Bullock said. "They're able to regulate their emotions better and retain information more easily when music is woven into the classroom."
Those benefits show up in children's confidence too. Callie has watched her shy daughter slowly step out of her comfort zone.
"I'm a shy person, so she may get it from me," she laughed. "But music has definitely helped her open up."
The preschool's music curriculum is tailored for each age group, using instruments and activities suited for their developmental stage. Their approach includes:
- Infants: Exploring soft sounds with rain sticks and chimes and learning to mimic tones
- Toddlers: Using bells to follow music and develop rhythmic skills
- Preschoolers: Playing tambourines and drums to strengthen coordination and beat-following
- All age groups: Using shakers, bells, and simple instruments to learn musical concepts like crescendo and decrescendo, and to understand instrument families
The goal isn't perfection, but rather exposure, exploration and self-expression.
"Their kids pick up on things so quickly," Bullock said. "Singing songs without being prompted and playing sounds they recognize, even before some are walking."
Whether it's the soft swish of a rain stick or the bright ring of a bell, teachers say these tiny milestones spark big emotions.
"Seeing their faces light up when they make a sound for the first time, it's amazing," Bullock shared. "The joy they show when they participate is why we do this."
Parents feel it too.
"Watching them grow, learn and explore new things is incredible," Sawyer said.
From shy smiles to confident singing, the Little Musicians program is helping North Texas' youngest learners find their rhythm and their voice.
Because sometimes, the biggest growth comes from the smallest sounds.