It's never too early to introduce music to a child. There is evidence indicating that playing music to an unborn child while still in the womb can provide babies with added confidence and relaxation when they're born. Furthermore, some experts believe that early exposure to music can build a child's cognitive skills and enhance the ability to learn, although it should be noted that there is no scientific evidence to prove this. Anecdotal evidence, however, suggests that this would explain why a 2-year-old might have difficulty learning the alphabet by reading it, but is likely to learn the names of letters through continued exposure to the ABC song.
With more than 550 locations in 30 different countries, Gymboree offers an array of child development programs for babies and toddlers, encouraging children to learn through play and socialization. Gymboree’s music classes combine song, dance, movement games and instruments to help children learn about rhythm, melody, tonality and beat. Classes are offered for three distinctive age groups: 6 to 16 months, 16 to 28 months and 28 months to 5 years, and a family music class for children ages 6 months to 5 years allows parents to join in.
Kindermusik is another method of musical education for preschool children, combining music and movement to lay the groundwork for formal music education later on. Originally developed in West Germany in the early 1960s, Kindermusik utilizes singing, games, movement and listening activities, offering different classes for a variety of age groups ranging from birth to 7 years old. Kindermusik's guiding philosophy is that parents are the most significant teachers in a young child's life, and the home is, therefore, the most important place of learning.
Formal music education can begin as early as age 2, although a more common age to begin is 6. The Suzuki method is specifically designed for teaching a child how to play an instrument and is one of the most widely used systems of music training for this age group. The Suzuki method maintains an early focus on ear training and memorization, as well as the correct physical techniques used in playing a particular instrument. Reading music notation is introduced gradually when the teacher believes the student is ready for it.