Advancing Early Childhood Music Education: A Three-Decade Review of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Instructional Developments

Abstract

Early Childhood Music Education (ECME) has been recognised for its significant contributions not only to the development of musical abilities and creative thinking, but also to children's academic achievement, socio-emotional competence, and language acquisition. However, systematic reviews focusing specifically on music education within early childhood contexts remain scarce. To address this gap, this study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 643 publications using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. The analysis identified key contributors (e.g., Ilari, Beatriz; Trainor, Laurel J.; Bautista, Alfredo), high-output countries (e.g., the United States, China, Canada), leading institutions (e.g., McMaster University, University of Toronto, University of Southern California, and The Education University of Hong Kong), and core journals (e.g., Music Education Research, International Journal of Music Education, Journal of Research in Music Education). Four major thematic directions were extracted: perception of musical elements and neural plasticity, ECME curriculum development and teacher professionalism, music training and its effects on cognitive and language development, and children's behaviour and mental health. Additionally, burst term analysis revealed two emerging research frontiers: the impact of ECME on children's self-regulation and the integration of digital technologies to enhance teacher development. These findings offer a comprehensive overview of the field and provide valuable insights for future research and practice in ECME.