Hind Louali Discusses How Music Can Improve the Learning Capabilities of Children
Consistent exposure to music, like taking voice lessons or learning to play a musical instrument, helps strengthen a specific set of social-emotional and academic skills that are vital to learning. Hind Louali French School of Austin – Ecole Jean-Jacques Rousseau mentions that learning music can reinforce language skills, strengthen memory and attention, as well as build and improve reading ability.
Hind Louali talks about how music primes the brain for learning
The key to understanding the advantages of music largely lies in how the brain processes sound and language. It can also counter-intuitively impact how a person learns to read. The sounds that come in through the ears tend to travel along an anatomically complex “auditory pathway”. This pathway is deeply connected to parts of the brain that determine how humans move, think, speak, as well as what they pay attention to.
Music learning can engage multiple systems in a single activity. For example, when playing the violin, a student has to coordinate their motor, cognitive, and sensory systems in order to put their fingers on the right strings and move the bow at the correct time. They simultaneously also have to read musical notes on a sheet of music and understand what sounds they represent. Hearing and determining whether the pitches and rhythms are correct and coordinating with other players is also an important aspect of playing a musical instrument like a violin. Engaging all of these systems makes learning how to play music among the deepest brain activities that humans perform. Moreover, how the sound of music makes the student feel can help light up the reward system of their brain. Several children who learn and play music tend to do better in school in comparison to their peers who do not engage in music. Young musicians are also likely to have better reading and language skills than non-musicians as their brains spend more time actively “engaging with sound.” No matter which instruments a child plays, or if are engaged in singing, simply an abundant exposure to music can make an impact. Engaging with sound changes and strengthening how the brain responds to sounds is the important part.
Among other things, music can help in improving mathematical skills. As per Hind Louali French School of Austin – Ecole Jean-Jacques Rousseau, when learning a musical instrument or practising singing, children would be introduced to various patterns and would have to count notes. Understanding fractions and how they function can help in learning to read half and full notes, as rhythms, notes, and bars tend to be produced around mathematical principles. Music is built on patterns, from scales and chords to rhythms and song structures. Recognizing and predicting these patterns can improve a student’s ability to recognize patterns in math, such as sequences and geometric shapes. Moreover, music involves a strong sense of rhythm, which requires counting beats and measures. This practice can enhance a person’s ability to understand and manipulate numerical patterns.
High self-discipline is needed by people to manage various internal and external pressures of life. Learning how to comprehend music and mastering musical instruments as a child can essentially help individuals deal with and compartmentalise stress in the future. Playing music requires students to dedicate their full attention to their instruments and musical charts. This would teach the kids the importance of concentration.
