All children deserve the best start in life and new scientific discoveries deepen our understanding of how to create the best environments for children. The team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This 25-minute Online module covers the following points:

• The brain learns musical information very early in development. Infants learn from listening to music in their environment and culture.
• Research suggests that infants have a sensitive period when their brains are particularly primed to learn the basic structure of musical components.
• Music and language share some key elements, such as pattern and rhythm. Practice with musical patterns and rhythms may help young children learn language patterns and rhythms.
• Musical experiences may help children build other skills, too. For instance, music training has been linked to executive function skills, and moving to a beat in time with another person can help build social-emotional skills.