Enhancing Your Child's Academic Development Through Music Study by Lorraine Marks Field
The pace of scientific research into music making
has never been greater. New data about music's relationship to brainpower and
wellness is changing the way we perceive music and it is having an effect on
decisions about educational priorities.This article will provide a glimpse into
these exciting developments. Even in the earliest years of life, music plays an important role in a child's
development.
Music brings families together, stimulates thinking and expressive skills, enhances creativity and a
sense of well-being.Active music making has been shown to help children succeed in school and in life.
Researchers have found that active music making during the school years can
strengthen abstract reasoning skills, paving the way to better results in
school. A ten year study tracking more than 25,000 students, shows that
music-making improves test scores.Students studying music get higher marks in standardized tests than those
who had no music involvement.
The test scores studied were not only standardized tests, but also in reading
proficiency exams.
Music study can help kids understand advanced math concepts.Music involves ratios,
fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time. Those children who received music training performed higher on tests
measuring spatial-temporal ability than the others, even those who received
computer training.
Research show that music students receive more academic honors and awards than non-music students, and that the
percentage of music participants receiving A's, A's/B's and B's was higher than the
percentage of non-participant receiving those grades.
There is also a significant relationship between the number of years of instrumental music instruction and academic achievement in math,
science and language arts.
Even the nations top business executives agree that arts education programs can help
repair weaknesses in American education and better prepare workers for the 21st
century.
Music can be taught to all children and will support the foundation of your child's
communication skills and academic development. I encourage you to engage your children
in a musical education that has the possibility for creating an experience that can last throughout
their lives.