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Musical behaviors of infants and toddlers begin soon after birth but often go unnoticed by parents and other caregivers. A child's first word, roll-over, crawl, or step is celebrated and often recorded in baby's book of firsts, while the first time they match pitch, respond to music with babbling sounds, or create spontaneous song may go unnoticed. The table in the appendix summarizes musical behaviors of infants and preschool children and can be used to help caregivers become more aware of those behaviors. In addition, the table suggests ways that parents and other caregivers can respond to and nurture the musical behaviors, thus strengthening neural connections and helping to build a strong music foundation.
When children's...