Effect of Parent/Child Group Music Activities on Toddler Development: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effects of structured group music activities on childhood development prior to age 2 years. Toddlers between 12 and 24 months of age participated in group music activities with their caregiver and developmental responses were observed. There were two inclusive groups combining typically developing children with children considered at-risk of developmental delay due to premature birth. Eleven toddlers were observed during the first music session attended. Another 11 toddlers were observed after attendance at four to seven music sessions. The two groups were balanced for gender and matched for age at time of observation to rule out developmental differences due to chronological age. The dependent variable was a developmental checklist designed by the authors with 29 observable items including communicative, cognitive, social, motor, and music skills. Results showed that participation in four to seven music sessions significantly increased higher level developmental skills. Significantly more children in the music group demonstrated higher level music and cognitive skills than did those in the control group. Future research should pursue these findings with larger sample sizes and consider long term implications.