The Benefits of Music For Babies and Toddlers, with Nancy Kopman

Why is Music Important for Infants and Toddlers?In this episode of the Learn With Less podcast, Ayelet is joined by Nancy Kopman, an early childhood educator and composer. Nancy has been creating, testing, developing, recording and performing her catchy, educational songs for children 0-10 for over 20 years. Her music can be found on TV, radio and online. Nancy’s work is celebrated worldwide by educators, therapists, family program directors, parents and caregivers. Her music is used in schools, daycares, Montessori environments, libraries, camps, internet radio and other children’s environments.On this episode, we discuss the ways in which music help to foster social/emotional development, what parents and caregivers can do to use music (even when they don’t consider themselves musical), and Nancy’s top tips and favorite resources for using music to engage with your baby and/or toddler.Great resources we mentioned in this podcast episode:Music With Nancy on YouTubeNancy’s music albumsPre-K PagesPreschool InspirationsTeach Preschool blogSesame Street songs on YouTubeConnect With UsAyelet: Facebook / Instagram / PinterestNancy: Website / YouTube / Facebook / InstagramText Transcript of this episodeAyelet: Today, I am speaking with early childhood educator and composer Nancy Kopman. Nancy has been creating, testing, developing, recording, and performing her short, catchy educational songs for children zero to 10 years for over 20 years. Her music can be found on TV, radio and online. She performs regularly in Toronto, Ontario and she does virtual video visits with her far away fans. Love the alliteration, by the way. Her work is celebrated worldwide by educators, therapists, family program directors, parents, and caregivers. Nancy believes that music is more than a universal language: it’s a communication tool that works far deeper than words. Music can soothe, reassure, comfort, validate, stimulate, relax and elicit joy and people of all ages, cultures, abilities and intellectual capacity. Music connects us at the roots of our instincts, making it a necessary tool in teaching and nurturing, developing minds. Nancy, I am in complete agreement with all of that and I want to thank you for being here. Welcome to Learn With Less.Nancy: Thank you so much for having me. It is such an honor and a pleasure to align my work with the work that you are doing, which I admire so much and feel is so important and I follow you every single day. So thank you very much for having me today.Ayelet: Thank you, Nancy. Well, I have asked you to come onto the show today to speak to us about all of the very many benefits of music for infants and toddlers. But first let’s just give a, give us a sense about more about you and how you got actually into the work that you’re doing today.Nancy: Okay, well, my background, let me start at the very beginning. My background is, uh, you know, my, like you, my philosophy as an educator is that we’re, we’re each born with an innate strengths and specific inclinations. And as you know, with the wonderful work you do, it’s our early life experiences that influence what we do with those attributes, um, who we ultimately become and how we design and implement our pur...