Singing nursery rhymes and clapping hands help babies to learn language and rhythm. Read poetry out loud, especially the rhyming kind. Every individual is wired to appreciate music, if not the same song or genre. Much has been written about the positive effects of music, and how learning how to play an instrument between the ages of 3 and 10 can boost IQ scores and math performances. Even if you don’t sign up your child for music lessons right away, you can still expose your child to a variety of pitches, tones, and beats.

Try This At Home: First make sure the house is very, very quiet so you can hear every sound. Then hold a jam session or singalong by adding one voice or instrument at a time. Go from quiet and soft to loud and raucous. Raid the kitchen cupboards for pots and pans to bang along. Improvise by acting silly, making up new song lyrics, playing in a procession, and dancing.