Music can help a child vent and express his feelings a lot. In the process of learning music, children can increase their creativity and learn more social skills, as well as learn how to deal with problems in musical exercises and challenges. The importance of learning music at a young age has led to the creation of a branch of music called child music education. All the characteristics of children should be taken into account in order to develop their talent in the field of music. In this article, we discuss the importance of learning music at a young age, the benefits of teaching music to children, the best teaching methods, and other tips you need for your child to learn music.

The importance of learning music at an early age

Starting music from a young age has the best effect on learning and developing children's talent. Children at a young age have high flexibility in character formation and skill acquisition, and children should be exposed to good music from the beginning and enter them into the world of music. Teaching music to children from the beginning has a great impact on developing the child's talent and turning those into a music teacher in the future, as most music teachers and geniuses have started teaching music from an early age. Make the most of your child's opportunity and ability to learn to make them a music master (Ehrlin, 2015).

The benefits of teaching children music

Children have a different world, so special methods should be used to teach music to children. In order to understand the reason for introducing our child to the world of music, we must be aware of the amazing benefits that learning music has in all areas of a child's life. Read on about the effects and benefits of music on children:

1. Increasing the child's intelligence: the process of learning music and engaging children with music increases their brain's IQ, because music uses different parts of the brain (Hallam, 2010).
2. The ability to better understand concepts: the mind power of children who work with music increases over time and they have the ability to understand information and concepts better (Jeski et al., 2013).
3. Increasing creativity: the simultaneous activity of children's mind and body through music education activates more parts of the brain, which can increase creativity and memory (Ramon and Lopez, 2021).
4. Improved academic performance: Some parents think that musical activities for children will reduce academic performance, when research has shown the opposite. According to a research conducted in 2006 at the University of Kansas in the United States, students who started learning music at a young age scored 20 to 30 percent higher in math and language than other students. You should know that the challenges of music practice will make the child ready and also increase the concentration in studying, which will cause effective study and as a result improve the children's grades in school (Johnson and Mammoth, 2006).
5. Language enhancement: Studies have shown that music practice and language learning both involves the same part of the brain and is very similar. Learning new songs, playing instruments and singing will increase the child's understanding of sound. Children who regularly practice music over time prepare their brains to understand and learn other languages (Hilda Israel, 2013).
6. More relaxation: According to statistics, listening to any kind of music reduces anger and stress and also makes children happy (Bagheri, 1400).
7. Increasing self-confidence and self-belief: When a child starts learning musical skills, he realizes that the speed of his learning depends on the amount of practice and his own effort, so the child will see the result of his work at each stage in the form of the amount of skill he has in the field of music and he has acquired musicianship. Music strengthens the child's ability to perform and express himself, and by giving him the courage to play and perform music in front of family, friends, and even strangers, it increases the child's self-confidence and self-esteem to a great extent (Zapata et al., 2017).
8. Here are some things you should know before sending your child to music class (Harrison, 2017).
9. Before enrolling in the first music class finds out your child's interest in music and make sure that your child is ready to participate in the class. For example, introduce your child to music and the sound of different instruments and see which instrument he is more interested in.
10.  Pay attention to the age of your child; learning music can start from the age of 5, but how to start at any age and what is the most appropriate method needs to be carefully considered.
11.  Choose the right place and method of music class that is most suitable for your child. For example, the music class can be at your home or at the school or in the form of online music education.
12.  Parental cooperation helps a lot in the process of learning music. Check your child's progress and accompany them while practicing at home and always motivate and encourage them. Remember that many musical geniuses achieved future success with the help and encouragement of their elders as children.

The best ways to teach children music in the world

There are various methods in teaching music that are used by different professors. Some of the best ways to teach children music are to nurture a child's innate curiosity and teach children to learn in the best way, just as a child learns his or her mother tongue. These methods have been used for a long time and the success of these methods has been proven to a large extent. One thing that all of these methods have in common is that they teach children to be more than just listeners, but encourage children to actively participate in music and express their creativity in music and playing. These methods are used by music teachers in schools around the world (Ramon and Lopez, 2021; Chogan, 2023).

Here are four common methods of teaching music to children

1. Orff's educational method

The Orf method is one of the popular and practical methods of teaching children's music, which engages the child's mind and body in music through a combination of singing, dancing and acting, using simple musical instruments specific to this method. This method was created by Carl Orff, a German composer and music teacher, between 1920 and 1930, and its idea was based on Carl Orff's belief in the importance of rhythm and movement in music. The musical instruments used in this method include xylophones, metallophones, bells, cymbals, drums, circles, etc. This method helps children learn music at their own level of understanding. This is done by emphasizing the integration of music with other arts such as stories, poetry, dance and acting. In this way, the teacher reads the story or poem in the class and the students add sound effects by playing using the mentioned musical instruments, and then the teacher accompanies the children using the instrument. The Orff method teaches music in four stages: imitation, discovery, improvisation and composition (Lixin, 2017).

2. Kodali educational method

This method was invented by Zoltan Kodaly, a Hungarian composer and music teacher. The philosophy of Kodaly's method is that learning music is most effective when it begins at an early age, and that every person has the ability to learn music through the use of folk music and songs of high artistic value. In the Kodali method, singing is the basis for children's music. One of the innovations of this method is the use of hand and finger signs to learn musical notes, in such a way that each special shape of hand and finger symbolizes a musical note, which is very simple and understandable for children to learn notes at a young age. These hand signs are combined with solfege and reading notes with the mouth, which causes the correct learning of reading in the music step, and also a system of rhythmic sounds is used to learn rhythm and speed. Through these combined lessons, children will naturally master reading and recognizing notes by hearing the sound (Horwitz et al., 1975).

3. Suzuki training method

The Suzuki method was developed by Dr. Daniel Shinichi Suzuki, a famous Japanese violinist. He composed for the Japanese Imperial Court and formed a quartet with his siblings. Dr. Suzuki started his method of teaching violin to children in a music school in Japan in 1964 and introduced this method to America. Suzuki has based his educational method on the child's innate ability to learn the mother tongue. He applied the basic principles of native language understanding in learning music and called his method the native language approach. Through listening, repeating, memorizing, creating vocabulary, and so on, music becomes a part of the child. In music school, children start taking violin lessons at the age of 2 or 3. Suzuki students first listen regularly to the great classical songs and pieces of music that they will eventually learn, while the students are in school the music is played continuously to immerse them in the music. This work makes children strengthen their musical ear over time and also recognize the change of pitch, timing and speed in music. Students learn by observing and are trained in groups, and social interaction and cooperation among students are strengthened. The Suzuki method emphasizes the importance of parents' influence and involvement in teaching music to children. Parents are encouraged to work with teachers to achieve a common goal. Parents can attend class and act as teachers at home (Edin, 2013).

4. Dalcroz educational method

The Dalcroze method, also known as the rhythmic movement method, is another method that art students use to teach musical concepts. Emil Josh Dalcroz, a Swiss composer and music teacher, developed this method to teach rhythm, structure and expression of music through the combination of music and body movement. This method begins with listening exercises and solfege to strengthen the child's musical ear. The difference between solfege training in the Dalcroz method is that it is always combined with rhythmic movements of the body. Students first listen to music, and then express the piece they hear with improvised body movements. For example, note and rhythm are shown by walking and clapping. Another feature of this method is the improvisations of movements that help students express their physical reactions and responses to the music. The philosophy of this method is that the best way to learn music is when it is done through multiple senses. Dalcroze believed that music should be taught through tactile, aesthetic mental and visual sensors (Anderson, 2012).

Comparison with traditional methods of child music education

In traditional methods, training is often done individually, and the ability to use group activities and increase children's interaction with each other is low. In the old ways, due to the formality of music classes and the difficulty of starting to teach children, it is less possible to be motivated and enthusiastic in class and enjoy music practice. These methods are based on a path and an educational process for children that accompanies children along the path of learning music and unlike traditional methods, in these methods the role of parents and their influence on the child's learning is greater, which causes more interest and motivation of children abroad. From the classroom and the home environment, it becomes music for practice (Yovonen, 2012).

Suitable instrument for different age groups

The question that always arises for parents is what is the best age to start music education to send their child to music class?

All parents want to discover their child's natural talents in order to set the stage for their child's success. There are amazing talents in the field of music in children, and by discovering them and addressing them; you can make a musical genius out of a child. A clear example of this in music is the famous Austrian composer Mozart, who composed his first symphony at the age of 10. Mozart's talent was discovered by his sister and was taught from an early age. There is no fixed and definite number for the best age to start music education, and the age to start music education for each instrument depends on the conditions and interests of each person. Usually, from the ages of 3 to 9 years old, it is appropriate to introduce the child to the musical atmosphere (Montgomery, 2016).

Which is more suitable for your child?

To choose an instrument for your child, you must first know what instrument is more compatible with your child's interests and tastes. Under no circumstances should you choose an instrument for your child based on your interest, even if you are a musician yourself. Not paying attention to your child's interest will not bring him progress and your child will soon give up learning music. Never choose to make friends for your child based on the opinions of others and by imitating relatives and friends, because your child's circumstances and interests are different from others, and instead of putting too much pressure on the child in music practice, encourage them to practice and give positive criticism. And continue to inspire and nurture their love for music (Harrison, 2017).

How to find the right music teacher and music education place for your child

Children's music education classes are held in two types of group and private classes. Group classes teach listening skills, music with body movements, and playing. This type of education is done with the cooperation of parents and accompanying the child in learning. There are internationally known methods in group training, such as the Orff method and the Suzuki method. These methods are very useful and effective for children under 6 years of age and introduce the child to music from an early age. Another type of music education is private classes, if your child has the necessary preparation and concentration to attend class and learn an instrument, this method is suitable for him/her (Harrison, 2017).

In the end, you are the one who knows your child's interests and abilities best. Expose your child to a variety of musical instruments and see which instrument they pay more attention to and thus discover their interest in music. Use all the necessary information in this field to maximize the benefits of music for your child and minimize its difficulties. Accompanying children in doing exercises and following up on their progress from the music coach is one of the duties of parents, which helps the child's progress and growth in the field of music. Remember that music and play are two inseparable components in teaching children music.

We are grateful to all the dear professors for providing their information regarding this research.

The author declared obviously in the manuscript and read the manuscript and has no conflict of interest.