Music Lessons Lead to Higher Test Scores for Grade School Students

In our continuing series of articles listing the benefits of music study, we discuss the mounting evidence on the importance of music in a young student’s education. Piano study is the most common avenue chosen by parents (see our Learn Piano Online and Piano Software Reviews), although other instruments and group music courses can lead to similar results. A recent report from the American Music Conference lists 10 Fast Facts about the impact that music has on learning, health and wellness. Some of these facts pertain directly to the effect music study has on learning skills and social development for grade school children.

1. Music has an obvious impact on the brain and should be supported and encouraged, especially in early childhood education and through¬out all stages and ages of learning.
2. Research shows that music training improves spatial-temporal reasoning in preschool children, which is necessary for learning math and science as well as other subjects.
3. A recent study showed that a curriculum combining piano lessons, educational math software and fun math problems helped second graders achieve scores on advanced math concepts and Stanford 9 math scores that were comparable to those achieved by fourth graders.
4. Young people who are involved in making music in their teenage years score 100 points higher on the SATs than those who don't play music.
5. Students who make music have been shown to get along better with their classmates and have fewer discipline problems.

Gotffried Schlaug of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston found that playing a musical instrument actually increased the size of the brain in classically trained male musicians, leading to a 5 percent difference in the volume of the cerebellum. Schlaug further stated, "Finding evidence like this is sort of remarkable. The structure seems to adapt to early years of training and practice; musicians are not just born with these differences."

If it is true that greater brain power is developed and nurtured by music study during a child’s early years, then it should be a priority for most parents. Most parents would agree, but with the decline of arts programs in the public school system and the exorbitant prices of purchasing instruments and private lessons, many simply give up in frustration and despair. Online lessons and software can certainly aid with this dilemma, especially if financial issues are the main component barring success; however, these services are greatly enhanced by live, private instruction. Students' progress in math, reading, cognitive ability and critical thinking are linked to their involvement in music programs. Vast amounts of research over the years have emphasized the role of music in learning, and these statements are not merely hypotheses but facts.

Tom Horne, the Arizona's state superintendent of public instruction, states, "If they're [parents] worried about their [kids] test scores and want a way to get them higher, they need to give kids more arts, not less. There's lots of evidence that kids immersed in the arts do better on their academic tests." With this in mind, parents can have a powerful impact on the educational achievement of their children by merely giving them more opportunities to study music.

Look for future articles discussing what you can do as a parent or concerned citizen to bring back or enhance arts programs in your schools.

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