Music matters to young students. As a parent, you learn that there are no educational shortcuts for your young child. Music isn’t a shortcut, but it enhances nearly every young student’s learning experiences.
Like most families, you follow traditional steps that help your children build a foundation for the future. You provide a nurturing home, and you teach them as much as possible. You place your toddlers in an educational environment so they can experience new challenges and learning opportunities. Also, you might be surprised when you learn that music is one of the tools educators use to reinforce your child’s confidence, skills, and learning abilities.
Learning is a step by step process that works best when your child has diverse learning experiences. As your child grows, you will make many educational choices based on their age and abilities. Music provides a consistent influence that helps your child succeed throughout that process. That is why music matters to young students.
Benefits extend beyond the music room
Educational specialists have been investigating the music/education connection for decades. You’ll find opinions on the varying benefits of informal vs. formal music education as well as playing vs. singing. Many research studies have determined that music (even listening to music) provides beneficial effects. They also agree that the benefits extend beyond the music room into all academic areas proving music matters to young students.
- In 1993, a scientist claimed that listening to Mozart triggered an increase in spatial reasoning skills used during problem-solving. Scientists have since investigated “The Mozart Effect” numerous times. They found temporary brain enhancements that varied depending on the person listening to the music.
- In 1981, a Mission Viejo, California high school determined that music students had a 3.59 grade-point average. Of these students, 16% had 4.0 GPAs, while non-music students averaged 2.91 GPAs.
- A study at a performing arts school in New York found that 90% of the music students went to college. Current Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2019 shows that all students’ average college attendance rate is 62% for boys and 69.8% for women.
What can music do for your child?
Over the years, teachers, scholars, scientists, and researchers have cataloged a long list of music’s benefits and tried to analyze them. Early research took a close look at older children and organized music lessons. Later studies examined the benefits of music play for children pre-school and younger. Also, most researchers found a uniform list of activities that music influenced.
- Linguistic skills: A 2018 study by Scientific Reports confirmed that weekly music playschool enhanced 5 and 6-year-olds’ vocabulary, word usage, word processing, and other linguistic skills.
- Auditory development: One study confirmed that music affects preschool-age children’s hearing and auditory processing skills.
- Verbal intelligence: Researchers determined that even short-term musical training enhances a young child’s verbal and cognitive skills.
· Executive Function: Playing an instrument relies on cognitive, neural, sound-processing, and information-processing. These and other executive function skills allow children to build a foundation for success throughout life.
These are just a few of the music studies conducted repeatedly, proving music matters to young students. Numerous people have looked at the music connection to developmental aspects, from cognitive skills to overall intelligence. They took different paths but reached a single conclusion. Music provides a long list of benefits for young students.
Contact The Learning Center
At TLC, we’re excited about including music in our early childhood education programs. We genuinely believe music matters to young students. To find out more about our four locations in South Windsor, Windsor, and Manchester, Connecticut, complete our contact form or call us at one of the sites listed on our Contact Page.