WHY EARLY MUSIC EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT

Although music is usually not a priority when considering a child’s education, music education holds countless benefits for child development. Music makes a huge difference in a child’s overall growth since it is an outstanding tool in heightening student understanding and is crucial in guiding students towards academic success.

“A music-rich experience for children of singing, listening and moving is really bringing a very serious benefit to children as they progress into more formal learning,” says Mary Luehrisen, executive director of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation, a not-for-profit association that promotes the benefits of making music.

BENEFITS FROM LEARNING MUSIC

Learning music helps to work the brain extensively to develop emotionally and cognitively. By learning to read music or by playing piano or any other instrument, children are able to obtain many different ways of expression and broaden their perspectives on the world. Studies show that music classes can be applied to teaching other subject areas and actually enhances student success in subject areas such as math, science, and language.

Music is a great tool; especially for young children. Musical activities require children to use multiple parts of their bodies, stimulating kinesthetic learners as well as strengthening their fine motor skills. Music classes also help children develop social skills as it requires a lot of interactive participation and teamwork.

“Music learning supports all learning. Not that Mozart makes you smarter, but it’s a very integrating, stimulating pastime or activity,” Guilmartin says.

Research studies have also shown to increase IQ in children who have been in a music educational setting. A study by E. Glenn Schellenberg at the University of Toronto at Mississauga, as published in a 2004 issue of Psychological Science, found a small increase in the IQs of six-year-olds who were given weekly voice and piano lessons. Schellenberg provided nine months of piano and voice lessons to a dozen six-year-olds, drama lessons (to see if exposure to arts in general versus just music had an effect) to a second group of six-year-olds, and no lessons to a third group. The children’s IQs were tested before entering the first grade, then again before entering the second grade.

Surprisingly, the children who were given music lessons over the school year tested on average three IQ points higher than the other groups. The drama group didn’t have the same increase in IQ, but did experience increased social behavior benefits not seen in the music-only group.

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT

“When you look at children ages two to nine, one of the breakthroughs in that area is music’s benefit for language development, which is so important at that stage,” says Luehrisen. While children come into the world ready to decode sounds and words, music education helps enhance those natural abilities. “Growing up in a musically rich environment is often advantageous for children’s language development,” she says. But Luehrisen adds that those inborn capacities need to be “reinforced, practiced, celebrated,” which can be done at home or in a more formal music education setting.

According to the Children’s Music Workshop, the effect of music education on language development can be seen in the brain. “Recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specific ways. Linking familiar songs to new information can also help imprint information on young minds,” the group claims.

This relationship between music and language development is also socially advantageous to young children. “The development of language over time tends to enhance parts of the brain that help process music,” says Dr. Kyle Pruett, clinical professor of child psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and a practicing musician. “Language competence is at the root of social competence. Musical experience strengthens the capacity to be verbally competent.”

LET’S PRIORITIZE MUSIC EDUCATION!

Considering all of these advantages music has to offer, children should start their music education as soon as possible. By taking music lessons near you, children will be able flourish and live better quality lives. As adults, educators, parents, we should give the best growing opportunities to our children and with music, we can do just that.

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REFERENCES

The Benefits of Music Education by Laura Lewis Brown

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/the-benefits-of-music-education