Posts Tagged elementary school
Music Develops The Child Brain
Music has the ability to train our brain for higher level of thinking – the kind of thinking for problem solving, comparing and contrasting the similarities and difference between objects, analyzing, reaching conclusion, synthesizing, and evaluating information.
In recent research, it was found that music can help in developing human’s spatial-temporal reasoning skill. Spatial-temporal reasoning is the ability to perceive the visual world accurately and form mental images of objects. It is the mind ability to see in very detailed images and to recognize, compare and find relationships among the patterns and details on an object. The temporal element involves a child’s ability to think ahead.
In learning music, one must be able to play a note, then a series of notes, then a series of chords, and the able to look ahead at the music and determine where and what will be played next.
Many studies and experiments have been conducted to prove the power of the music on our brain. Below are the finding in some recent years research:
Research and Finding 1:
In 1994, Drs Gordon Shaw and Frances Rauscher who are scientists at the University of California at Irvin, conducted an experiment to find out the link between spatial reasoning and music. They divided seventy-nice college students into three groups. Each group was given a cutting and folding task.
The first group was given the opportunity to listen to ten minutes of Mozart’s Sonata in D for Two pianos, K. 488. The second group heard ten minutes of minimalist (Philip Glass’s Music with Changing Parts) and rhythmically repetitive music (Ian Rich’s C-Level Productions mix of Mortal Stomp and Carry Me Through). The third was the control group where the students did not listen to any music piece.
The result was – there was no significant occurrence with the second and third group. However the students in the first group who had listened to the music of Mozart, experienced an increase in their spatial IQ of eight to nine points in just ten minutes! Although the effect was temporary, the scientists believed that a particular organization of the elements in the music caused the improvement in the spatial-temporal reasoning. This phenomenon is now commonly known as the “Mozart Effect”.
Research and Finding 2:
After the above experiment which showed that by listening to music, it could caused an increase in spatial-temporal reasoning, scientists began to wondered if the effect can be prolonged by studying a musical instrument.
To find out the result, the scientists conducted a test on thirty-three three-year-old pre-schoolers in Los Angeles. They choose three-year-old children because the cortexes of their brain were still maturing and any effect from music education will be most observed as compared to a matured brain.
The children were divided into two groups. The first group had 19 children who were provided with eight months of keyboard and singing lesson. The remaining 14 children belonged to the control group which did not receive any training. For the first group, their training consisted of weekly ten to fifteen minute private keyboard lesson, daily practice periods and a daily thirty minute singing time.
The children were tested after eight months later. They were required to perform five tasks to test their spatial reasoning:
- arranging pieces of a puzzle to form a complete picture
- matching depicted pattern using flat, two-colored blocks
- placing correct color pegs into holes under a series of pictured animals
- performing a geometric design task
- describing what was “wrong” or “silly” about a picture.
And here were results:
The spatial-temporal reasoning of the children in the control group increase by only 6 percent. However children from the group which received music training showed a great improved in their spatial-temporal reasoning by 46 percent!
Research and Finding 3:
To confirm the results and finding in the above experiment, the scientists conducted another test. This time they took another group of seventy-eight preschoolers and divided into four groups:
- The first group consisted of thirty-four students who were given private daily piano lessons
- The second group consisted of twenty students. The children in this group received ten minutes of private computer training every day.
- The third group had 12 students who received singing training
- The last group were a control group where the children did not attend any form of lesson.
The children were tested after six months later and the results were:
Children in the first group had the most dramatic improvement in spatial-temporal reasoning – an increased by 34 per cent in performance!
Research and Finding 4:
In 1998, the scientists perform another experiment to find out how a computer math game called “Spatial-Temporal Animation Reasoning (STAR) coupled with either piano lessons or English-language training affected students performance in math.
This experiment were conducted over 4 months period and the subjects were 170 second-graders from an elementary school in Los Angeles.
The children were divided into 3 groups:
- Group 1 consisted of children who studied the piano keyboard and the math video game
- Group 2 consisted of children who received English language training and studied the math video game
- Group 3 were the control group which did not receive any training.
After four months, a test were conducted and the results were:
Children in Group 1 and 2 who received training in the computer game showed a 100 percent improvement in their math skills as compared to the control group. Also, the students who received piano keyboard training along with the math video game did 27 percent better on questions related to fractions and proportional math than those who received training in English language and the math video game. And lastly, the teachers of the group also reported that the children who studied piano key boarding demonstrated better attention and concentration abilities!
Tags: children, college, education, elementary school, english language, keyboard lesson, learning, learning music, music, music education, musical instrument, piano, piano keyboard, piano lesson, piano lessons, preschool, school, singing lesson, teach, teacher, teachers, university, university ofRelated posts
The Impact of Music in Our Schools
“You are supposed to go to choir rehearsal.”
These words were uttered from the mouth of my third grade teacher Ms. Kratz way back in 1981. A few weeks prior, my music teacher, Mr. Snouffer, pulled me into the tiny, dingy backstage area of our little cafeteria stage at Whitehall Elementary School in Williamstown, New Jersey. He asked if I knew the words to Barry Manilow’s, “I Made it Through the Rain.” I said yes, and he asked me to sing it. I have no idea how in 3rd grade I knew the words to that song. Let’s just say that from a very young age I knew I was not like the other kids. Apparently, Mr. Snouffer saw a spark in me when I sang in music class, and he was checking to see if I could make it in the chorus. He decided I could and let Ms. Kratz deliver the message. He did not know the impact that this simple gesture would have on my life.
Right around this time my dad took off and my mom had to find the humility and courage to accept government assistance in order to keep our home. In addition, I had begun to painfully hear my name called early in the morning every Monday to pick up my “free lunch” ticket for the week. This was humiliating at first, and eventually just became reality. To top it all off, while my brothers were excelling in academics and athletics, I was falling behind in Math. This led to me having a tutor outside of school. Actually, though, I would still be falling behind in Math if you asked me to compute anything beyond basic Algebra.
Mr. Snouffer was the first male figure in my life who took an active interest in my talents and abilities. His invitation to me to participate in the school choir was my first taste of accomplishment in my own rite. I went on to place competitively in All State and Region Choirs in New Jersey, win regional teen arts festivals, star in my schools plays and musicals, and I have done some acting as an adult. Above all, I still reap the rewards that involvement in the performing arts provides. Those are willingness to risk and face fears, discipline, self-confidence, collaboration, team work, and great appreciation for all arts and the value that they have in our culture.
In addition, I learned a great lesson about failure from my early days in choir. I was one of the only Jewish people in my small elementary school; therefore, Mr. Snouffer invited me to introduce the Chanukah song during our Christmas concert one year. During all of our school performances I did my introduction flawlessly. Our parent/evening performances had actually become so popular that the cafeteria was full of kids sitting in the aisles and people standing along the sides. This was my first time presenting in front of a large group of people alone. One of my classmates thought it was really cool to see me up there and he yelled my name from the audience. It turned out that I was quite unprepared for this. When I heard my name I froze, and completely broke down. I had to be ushered off the stage and miss the entire song that I was supposed to introduce. I was devastated. The lesson came when Mr. Snouffer told me that it was ok. He even went as far as to take accountability for my breakdown. He let me know that since I had done so well during our school performances that he didn’t think to tell me to look at the back wall during the evening performance. Looking back, I can honestly say that it this experience in choir was the first time I learned that it is ok to take risks, even fail, get back up, and keep going and learning.
A few months ago, after 29 years, I reached out to Mr. Snouffer with a letter of appreciation. He was grateful to hear from me and appreciative of my willingness to let him know about the impact this simple gesture had on my life. He also expressed that as a teacher (now directing an expansive Choir Department at Westlake High School in Austin, TX), you can’t ever really know which moments or gestures will have an impact on your students. I suggested that perhaps the only real objective is to be fully present and real in each moment and from there we can have significant impact.
Writing my letter of appreciation to Mr. Snouffer allowed me to reconnect with a formative moment in my personal history and inspire a great teacher. Also, while our current economy is eliciting budget cuts in very painful areas like education and arts education, I am reminded how critically important it is for children to have the opportunity to broaden their minds and experience through participating in the arts and art education. I reiterate, there are many qualities that are honed through music education, including discipline, team work, communication, perseverance, self-mastery, and courage. Also, it has been illustrated that children who study music are more likely to graduate high school and go on to college.
I want to encourage you to take a few moments to contemplate the people who have had great impact in your life. Maybe you can even reach out to them and let them know. Who were they? How did they impact you?
Tags: children, college, education, elementary school, high school, learning, music, music education, music teacher, school, schools, teach, teacherRelated posts
Music Lessons for Kids – A Parent’s Guide to Private Music Lessons
Private music lessons are an effective way to help your child learn to play an instrument, but for parents who have little musical experience, figuring out how to begin lessons can be a difficult task. This article will show you what is involved in taking music lessons, and help you get your child’s music education off to a great start!
First, let’s get an idea of what to expect in private music lessons. In lessons, an experienced musician shares her expertise on an instrument with a student who plays the same instrument. During the lesson, the teacher assesses the student’s difficulties and strengths, introduces new concepts, and assigns homework. After each lesson, the student learns by practicing the lesson material each day. Music lessons require more commitment than scouts or karate class, because much of the learning is the student’s responsibility. If your child practices daily, she builds a foundation that the teacher can expand upon in the next lesson. But without practice, progress grinds to a halt, and you end up paying the teacher to say the same things every week. When you enroll your child in music lessons, it’s important to realize that you’re signing up for a few minutes of daily practice as well. By understanding what is expected in lessons, your child can make fast progress and have more fun learning music.
Generally, children ages 7 and up who have a strong desire to learn, good listening skills, and willingness to practice are great candidates for lessons. Younger children often benefit more from group classes that teach basic musical concepts in a playful environment. These classes give young kids the chance to learn valuable musical skills without the responsibility involved in private lessons. Having fun with music at home is another great way to introduce young children to music. Singing silly songs, experimenting with sounds, and banging on pots and pans with your children can give them a positive view of music and encourage their creativity. An experienced music teacher at a local elementary school can show you many activities you can do at home to build your child’s musical understanding.
If your child is ready for lessons, are you ready to support his musical development? Children generally achieve more when their parents actively support their musical efforts. Driving your child to weekly lessons, attending recitals, and helping her develop a regular practice schedule can lead to lasting musical success. Likewise, considering lessons a valuable investment goes a long way to help your child succeed. Lessons are most effective when taken regularly over a long period of time, so making a long-term commitment to your child’s lessons gives him the chance to excel musically.
Once you’ve decided that lessons are a good fit for your family, it’s time to find a good teacher. Generally, the teacher should have substantial experience, and should play the same instrument as your child. Be careful of teachers who claim to teach many instruments. Each instrument is unique, so a teacher who specializes in one or two instruments can provide more detailed, quality instruction than a general teacher can. Good teachers will be more than willing to discuss their teaching approach and expectations, and may even schedule a trial lesson to get to know you and your child better. Take the time to find an experienced, caring teacher who works well with your child. A teacher has the power to shape your child’s attitudes toward music for years to come, so make sure to choose someone who empowers your child and makes learning fun.
When your child begins asking to play an instrument, don’t feel pressured to start lessons right away. Take the time to decide if lessons are right for your family, and find an excellent teacher. In the meantime, have fun planning musical activities for your family. Go to a concert that features your child’s favorite instrument, listen to recordings of the instrument, or visit a music store. Introduce your child to the idea of practicing and taking care of an instrument. Before the first lesson, your son or daughter will already have a strong musical foundation!
Tags: art lesson, art lessons, children, e learning, education, elementary school, learning, learning music, music, music education, music lesson, music lessons, music lessons for kids, music store, music teacher, private lessons, private music lessons, school, songs, sound, teach, teacher, teachers, teachingRelated posts