Baby music and intelligence - it's been a source of continued studies for both childcare experts and scientists alike. As parents become more invested in giving their children the tools they need for exceptional social, mental and physical development - even while still in the womb - many psychologists and scientists have become intrigued by the conjecture that listening to the right baby music can not only make your child smarter; it can even help your child become a more socially intelligent adult.
There's no shortage of research out there to support the hypothesis that babies who listen to classical music - even while in the womb - are quicker to learn and get better grades on schoolwork than their peers who didn't listen to classical music as a baby. Manufacturers have certainly picked up on this trend and have developed an entire empire dedicated to using music as a tool for increasing mental and social intelligence. Brands like Baby Beethoven® have become some of the most popular products on the market today, with more parents than ever curious about baby music and how it can positively influence their own infant.
And why shouldn't parents be naturally inquisitive about this research? After all, even if baby music doesn't do anything for your child's cognitive abilities, how can encouraging a taste for classical music be viewed as a "bad" thing?
Even those who argue against the effect of baby music can't disagree with the evidence proposed by scientists on just how powerful a childhood rich in music can be for a person's intelligence. For example, according to a San Diego Tribune article in 2004, researchers were able to determine a causal link between those children who not only listened to classical music but played an instrument as well, and better grades in school subjects like math and science. Many people wouldn't argue with the findings of this research either, as musicians often score higher in math and science subjects than their peers who don't have a musical background.
In short, baby music will make your child smarter - but also playing an instrument can really set your child up for mental and social success as he or she matures into adulthood.
Yet for those who still argue against the concept of babies who are better able to learn because they listened to music while still in the womb, there's still plenty of research to support the theory that classical music can indeed set a child up for academic success. In a 2005 study published by National Geographic, researchers were able to show that babies learn to adapt to their surroundings and their culture by using rhythms. This study went on to show that by watching brain activity, researchers concluded that babies were better able to understand complex rhythms than adults. After all, doesn't life outside of the laboratory support this conjecture as well? Just look at how mothers use repeating patterns in order to help their children learn new words, like "Ma ma" and "Da da". Through firsthand experience, it's plain to see that your baby uses sound rhythms in order to make sense of his or her environment.
Many childcare experts even believe that children as young as 12 months in age - long before they finish developing rudimentary cognitive skills - show signs of tuning into the music of their culture and surrounding environment. This evidence is further supported by a young child's ability to learn the sound patterns and rhythms of foreign languages, because this learning ability is supported by similar neurological pathways in the brain. This is why experts recommend that children learn foreign languages and how to read music as young as possible, before these vital neurological pathways disappear as they grow older.
As if this wasn't enough to convince parents that baby music is a great tool for increasing cognitive intelligence, many researchers have even proven that listening to music can improve memory and recall; best of all, these findings apply to every age range. So if you have a hard time remembering where you put your keys in the morning, try listening to a little Mozart on the drive to work to give your brain a vigorous workout!
However, many scientists firmly believe that baby music doesn't have to be limited to classical compositions. Any kind of music will help your baby to become smarter, since it's more about rhythm and sound patterns rather than classical tastes. Your baby will respond just as enthusiastically to Latin music as he would Beethoven; so if there's a particular musical genre that you prefer, don't be shy about sharing your interests with your baby - the point of baby music is to encourage your child to not only adapt to her surroundings, but to set her up for academic success!
