Language development in early childhood affects virtually all aspects of later childhood and adulthood. Without intervention, language development remains remarkably stable: children who are ranked low in language ability among their peers at 5 months continue to rank low at age 15 years. Research has evidenced the positive effects of music on language ability and its underlying neurocognitive functions. These findings have the potential to guide the development and implementation of high-quality early educational activities to facilitate language and neurocognitive development via music. Many music related activities already exist in the market, yet they lack support from high-quality research evidence. In order to provide infants and toddlers with evidence-based early educational activity, especially those who are at risk for future language impairment, a standardized music playgroup curriculum that is grounded on the best neuroscientific literature is greatly needed.

For playgroups to be effective, they must be offered in a principled fashion and must be tested rigorously. In the past year, our team has designed a playgroup curriculum based on the best available neuroscientific evidence about the association among music, language and the developing brain. The curriculum consists of a hybrid in-person and online sessions that can be delivered flexibly even during COVID-19. It follows a teach-model-coach-review approach where parents learn five strategies to promote interactive play with their child at home that emphasizes active music listening and participation. The team will partner with a TSSSU company to expand the reach and impact of this program by offering a community music playgroup curriculum to typically developing infants and toddlers and those who are at risk of future language impairment.

As many as 25% of children have language impairment as a primary or secondary condition. With early intervention, language can be improved, as the nervous system is most plastic in the early years. The team envisions to teach parents with evidence-based strategies to improve caregiver-child play at home. This provides an avenue for high-quality interventional activities for all children and those who are at risk for language impairment in particular. The online nature of our program would enable a very broad reach, and the program can continue even during COVID-19 and other potential future pandemics, so that children will benefit from cognitively stimulating activities despite social distancing restrictions.

• 300 typically developing infants and toddlers and those at risk of future language impairment and their parents


• Early childhood education practitioners

2021

Education, Language