An elementary school teacher wrote: “The education of a child involves three major components: teacher, student, parents.” We absolutely agree that parent involvement in early childhood education in collaboration with classroom teachers best equips children for a successful learning environment at school and in the home. Music can help build connections between the teacher, student, and parents.
The benefits of music on children and family involvement in education continue to gain the interest of researchers. Two new studies show that making music together in school may improve young children’s behavior and make them like school better, too.
3 benefits of music on children and their social skills
In the first study, four-year-old children were placed in either a “music group” or a “no music group.” The 24 children in the music group played percussion instruments and sang, whereas the other children listened to a story. After participating in the groups, all the children played games that measured cooperation, helping skills, and problem-solving abilities.
- Children in the music group were 30 times more likely to help than those in the other group.
- Making music was also shown to improve cooperation among all the children in the ‘music group’ who were six times more likely to cooperate than those in the reading group.
- Boys in the music group were four times more likely to problem solve.
Researcher Rie Davies said in a press release: “This study…highlights the need
for schools and parents to understand the important role music making has in children’s lives in terms of social bonding and helping behaviors. Music making in class, particularly singing, may encourage pupils with learning differences and emotional difficulties to feel less alienated in the school environment.”
One more of the benefits of music on children
In a separate study looking at the benefits of music on children, researchers from Finland found that children participating in extended music classes liked school better. Nearly 1,000 students participated in the study, which included taking a survey in Year 3 and Year 6 that measured the quality of school life.
“Singing in a choir and ensemble performance are popular activities at extended music classes. Other studies have established that people find it very satisfying to synchronize with one another. That increases affiliation within the group and may even make people like each other more than before. Other subjects in the school do not have as intensive training in synchrony and coordination as music lessons, which could explain part of the phenomenon,” explained the principal investigator of the study, Doctoral Student Päivi-Sisko Eerola, in a press release.
Music and family involvement in education
ABC Music & Me is our research-based early childhood curriculum that includes 30-minute classroom lessons with materials and resources that encourages parental involvement in early childhood education. Whether used as a daycare curriculum, early literacy curriculum, or even as an after school curriculum, the benefits of music on children includes early language development, vocabulary acquisition, strengthened fine- and gross-motor skills, and as the research shows cultivates sharing and boosts school satisfaction.