What to expect from a 2 year old in music class

For the first couple of weeks, children in this age group (18 months to 2 ½ yrs) tend to listen and absorb, and to watch and see if the parent is participating and enjoying the class. It's usually the 3rd week that we will see the child participating and responding, even singing. The more the parent sings and enjoys the simple instruments, the more the child will. And no one has to sing on pitch. Some parents "talk" the lyrics if they don't want to sing - that's OK. If you are listening to the CD on a regular basis, like in the car, you may hear your child singing along, or responding well to the tonal and rhythm patterns. We often observe a "delayed" response from them a couple of hours after class is over, such as the rhythm pattern, du-de-du-de. Music is a second language, and all children begin to learn a new language by simply listening.