Family Music: Kids Learn Music Best in a Family Setting

Somewhere between the 16th and the 24th week of gestation, a fetus is able to hear his Mom and Dad's voices. This is a wonderful time to start singing to your little one. Songs you sing to your baby while he is still in the womb will recall that special loving place when he hears those songs later on. And singing to your baby after birth will help calm him and aid in bonding.

So don't be shy. Your baby thinks you are the best singer in the universe -- at least for a few years anyway. Take advantage of that fame! Because your baby responds to the love in your voice most of all, you don't have to worry whether you sound like a diva or a frog -- baby will prefer your voice to anyone else's, bar none.

So shine like a star!

It is quite common for a child to learn to sing words before she can even say them. A child responds to the rhythm and cadences of the words when they accompany a melody. Singing aids in memory, too. Think about how much easier it is to recite the alphabet if you sing the alphabet song than if you just say the letters.

Through music and songs, a child learns the meaning of opposites such as fast-slow and high-low. Songs can tell stories and a child can learn how to predict what comes next, especially when there is a refrain to chime in on.