For years now, we’ve been hearing about music programs being cut from schools. The fine arts programs are some of the first to go when budgets are tight, and these programs have never been considered as important as the core subjects such as reading and math. The loss of these music programs has caused parents and teachers to search for other resources. It’s an emotional issue – as you know if you’ve seen movies such as Mad Hot Ballroom, inspired by the Dancing Classrooms program, or Music of the Heart, inspired by Opus 118 Harlem School of Music.

What are our children really losing when these music programs are cut from our schools? Is it about the musical education that they’re missing, or is learning about music also linked to achievement in other core subjects? As someone who took many music classes in elementary and secondary school, I wish there was an easy (and positive!) answer to this question.

The National Association for Music Education explains that schools with music programs have higher graduation rates, and that some research from Harvard’s Project Zero has identified a correlation between learning musical notation and achievement in math and reading. Other studies suggest that children who participate in music instruction may also score higher on tasks involving hand-eye coordination and visual-spatial abilities. In language development, exposure to music (perhaps through programs such as Music Together) may help young children distinguish between sounds such as /ga/ and /da/, which is important for later phonics skills.

What does that tell us? It seems that researchers don’t have the answers about exactly how music instruction is linked to achievement in other domains, but the findings so far are hopeful. And there are still plenty of ways you can support your child’s musical education at home. Find opportunities for exploring and composing (check out Creating Music or Finale Notepad software). Listen to music while you’re in the car and play a game to identify the individual instruments. Do you have other suggestions? And doesn’t this make you wonder if playing Guitar Hero might improve your child’s math skills in some way?

Children are often fascinated by music, whether they are beating pots and pans or dancing along with the characters on television. Music, like art, also offers a wonderful opportunity for kids to express themselves creatively. So, along with many others here at LeapFrog, I’ve been thinking about incorporating music learning into our products in fun and innovative ways.

I think about music and learning in two ways:
1. Music as the curriculum – melody, pitch, rhythm, etc.
2. Music supporting learning in other domains - literacy, math, etc.

At the moment, I’m thinking about the first goal. Infants can recognize differences in pitch and inflection, and toddlers will sing along to music at their own pitch. As their gross motor skills improve, toddlers also begin to move to music at a consistent tempo. Don’t worry if your child is singing off key or dancing to a different beat than the music – this is a natural part of the learning process!

Listen to Hazel singing her ABCs in the video below and you’ll see what I mean. To an adult, this song is about learning the alphabet in order, with a catchy melody to help your memory along. To Hazel, the ABC song is an opportunity to explore music. She may not have the alphabet in order from A to Z yet, or understand that she’s singing about individual letters. Notice that she’s particularly fond of “W X” - she is clearly using the music to group the letters by their familiar musical phrases.

As preschoolers and beyond, children improve their ability to sing independently and match the rhythm and key of a musical piece. They can listen to and appreciate different styles of music and match it to different moods and activities, such as cleaning up toys or a character’s happiness in a story.

I’d love to hear what’s happening at your house. How do you support your child’s love of music? Do you have some great ideas to share?

Happy learning!