Creating a music rich environment in the home has many benefits for the child; from listening skills to speech perception and development, to turn taking and movement but perhaps the biggest benefit is the joy music gives to a child’s life. By bringing music into your deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) child’s life in a joyful and meaningful way it can provide a respite from the doctor’s appointments and therapies giving the child and their caregiver a special bonding experience. Music is everywhere in your home: from the doorbell to the windchimes and the pots and pans- almost anything can provide a beat, a rhythm or a melody. You do not need fancy instruments although they are great if you have them. We recommend a few small simple instruments such as an egg shaker, a drum and a scarf to get you started on your musical journey. These percussion instruments provide tactile feedback and help the child associate the movement with sound. The scarf or piece of fabric helps with flowing movement.
Kristen Van Dyke (FHSR) & Sally Blandon (Merit School of Music) discuss how playful interactions at home with music and movement stimulate cognition and foster sound production, a precursor for language development for newborn children with hearing loss, discussing the benefits of incorporating music in a Deaf or Hard of Hearing child’s life along with best practices for creating a music-rich home environment.
Through sharing a variety of musical techniques and approaches, Sally and Kristen dig into the science-based pedagogy that further enhances the overall development and habilitation of young DHH children.
Simple songs that are repetitive are best - use just your voice, trust us even if you cannot sing your baby will think your voice is beautiful! And Repeat, Repeat, Repeat! Babies never get tired of hearing the same song. For children with hearing loss they need to hear a word or phrase many more times than a normal hearing child. Classics such as “You are my sunshine” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” are a perfect way to start. These tunes can also be updated with words of your own, almost anything works!
Ritualize your time together: Set aside music time each day, making it a part of your routine. Start with just a few minutes and gradually increase the time.
Reduce background noise and distractions if possible, use your natural voice and start at a SLOW tempo and keep your volume at a comfortable level for your child.
Get down on the floor with your baby and make sure your face is clearly visible and sing a lullaby to your baby.
The Music To My Ears Early Childhood Scholarship Program allows all deaf or hard of hearing children, regardless of financial need, to attend weekly music enrichment classes and experience the joy of music with their caregivers and hearing peers. The scholarship will provide one year of tuition-free music classes to children (up to 4 years of age) who are deaf or hard of hearing, through FHSR’s partnerships with leading music schools throughout the Chicagoland area.
A $900 donation will sponsor a year of classes for one deaf or hard of hearing child. This amount will allow children who might not otherwise be able to afford music to experience the joy of music with their hearing peers.
Large selection of children’s song books that are perfect to help you create a music rich home.
YouTube is an excellent resource for early childhood music videos
Laurie Berkner Band, Ella Jenkins, Raffi, and Justin Roberts
Language simple but rich books, such as Frosty the Snowman, Brown Bear Brown Bear, Moo Baa La La La! and The Big Red Barn, offer all kinds of happy moments to sing and make noise with your baby.
BE A PART OF IT ALL.
We hope you will consider making a sound investment in our children. Thank you!
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