Putting on your shoes can lead to a song about laces. Pick up the toys, to a chorus that is repeated until the last piece goes into the box. Some children sing while doing other thingswithout seeking anyone to listen to them or necessarily playing a known melody. Sometimes they make up the lyrics and other times they change the words of a song they already know.
These small compositions are part of the spontaneous play. For adults they may sound repetitive or not make much sense, but they offer the child an opportunity to try out sounds, combine words and turn what is happening around them into material for play.
Research on children’s singing has observed this behavior both in domestic routines and during specific tasks. Its meaning, however, depends on the context. Singing while dressing or playing does not allow us to draw conclusions about a child’s personality or abilities..
Sing without anyone listening
Not all nursery rhymes are directed at another person. A little one can hum while building a tower or make up a melody to accompany the movement of their dolls. In those moments, singing is part of the activity you are doing.
A study published in Cognitive Development examined the spontaneous speech, singing, and humming of 58 children between 4 and 8 years old during an attention task. Almost a third sang to themselves, while the majority used some form of private speech, that is, words spoken aloud without addressing an interlocutor.
The work did not find an association between this song and better performance in the executive functionswhich include capabilities such as planning, slowing down a response, or changing tasks. Therefore, observing a child singing while doing something does not show that he or she concentrates better or has greater self-control.
Words are also used to play
A made-up song doesn’t need to tell a complete story. It may contain the name of a toy, a phrase heard at home, or a word that sounds funny to you. The child can repeat it and then change a syllable, lengthen a vowel or add a different ending.
There appears a form of explore language and create. The melody offers a pattern on which to introduce variations. It is not necessary for the lyrics to rhyme or for the song to be well in tune for there to be that game with words and sounds.
You can also incorporate what is happening at that moment. If you sing about breakfast or the clothes you are putting on, you are using an everyday experience to construct your song. It is not necessary to interpret each phrase as a hidden message.
What parents can do when their child starts singing
The response can be as simple as listening or following the game if the child invites you to participate. There is no need to correct every word or ask you to repeat the song for other people.. A melody that emerges while playing does not have to become a performance.
If you are looking for company, the adult can respond with another sung phrase or ask how to continue. If he continues to entertain himself, you can also let him continue his activity without intervening.
Comparisons should be avoided. That one child sings a lot and another barely does it does not establish a difference in intelligence, creativity or well-being. This behavior, by itself, does not serve to measure these characteristics.
The next time you turn getting dressed into a song, just notice what you’re doing. Maybe repeat a tune you like or try out new words. You may also simply be enjoying the way your own voice sounds.