Music and Children
The purpose of this paper is to explore the many different aspects of music and its effects on infants and children. I will also discuss how music can be beneficial to them and what parents can do to make music a part of their childrens ' lives.
Research has been done for hundreds of years on the effects of classical music on children ("Classical"). As a child is developing in the first few years of life, their brain is essentially being "wired" and shaped by its environment. Research has suggested that music, especially classical music, can have remarkable effects on their minds (Campbell). It has been demonstrated that infants can even respond to music with adult-like capabilities, with the ability to discriminate between differences in frequency, pitch, rhythm and tempo. Babies also respond to stimuli that deliver music as a reward ("Can Classical"). Research also suggests that classical music can have numerous positive effects on children 's development and health ("Classical"). For example, certain classical selections are shown to have a positive effect on the intellectual and creative development of infants and children in: increased verbal, emotional and spatial intelligence, improved concentration and memory, enhanced right-brain creative processes, and strengthened intuitive thinking skills ("Babies").
One such example of research began with the work of Dr. Francis Raucher and Dr. Gordon L. Shaw from the University of California (Coff). A study done in 1993 revealed that college student 's scores improved on spatial-temporal reasoning tests after listening to Mozart. Later in the 90 's, Rauscher and Shaw performed two more studies. These studies indicated that after listening to Mozart, preschool children in Los Angeles and in Wisconsin scored 34%-36% higher on spatial-temporal reasoning tests than children who received no instruction. Since these studies the term "Mozart Effect" has been the buzz phrase that won 't disappear
Research has been done for hundreds of years on the effects of classical music on children ("Classical"). As a child is developing in the first few years of life, their brain is essentially being "wired" and shaped by its environment. Research has suggested that music, especially classical music, can have remarkable effects on their minds (Campbell). It has been demonstrated that infants can even respond to music with adult-like capabilities, with the ability to discriminate between differences in frequency, pitch, rhythm and tempo. Babies also respond to stimuli that deliver music as a reward ("Can Classical"). Research also suggests that classical music can have numerous positive effects on children 's development and health ("Classical"). For example, certain classical selections are shown to have a positive effect on the intellectual and creative development of infants and children in: increased verbal, emotional and spatial intelligence, improved concentration and memory, enhanced right-brain creative processes, and strengthened intuitive thinking skills ("Babies").
One such example of research began with the work of Dr. Francis Raucher and Dr. Gordon L. Shaw from the University of California (Coff). A study done in 1993 revealed that college student 's scores improved on spatial-temporal reasoning tests after listening to Mozart. Later in the 90 's, Rauscher and Shaw performed two more studies. These studies indicated that after listening to Mozart, preschool children in Los Angeles and in Wisconsin scored 34%-36% higher on spatial-temporal reasoning tests than children who received no instruction. Since these studies the term "Mozart Effect" has been the buzz phrase that won 't disappear
Cited: "Babies To Benefit from Smart Symphonies." From the Mead Johnson Website. May 12, 1999. January 23, 2001. . Campbell, Don. "The Mozart Effect: Music For Babies." Audio CD Review. From the Review Corner Website. Published by The Children 's Group. 1998. January 23, 2001. . "Can Classical Music Enhance Lifelong Potential." From the E-Society Pages Website. Published by WebWright. January 23, 2001. . "Classical Music: Improving Children 's Development." From the Learning Network Website. January 23, 2001. . Coff, Richard. "For the Professional Music Educator – The "Mozart Effect"- Research on Music and the Developing Brain and More." January 23, 2001. . Cordes, Helen. "Healthy Tunes." Parenting Magazine. February 1999. January 23, 2001. . "Mozart Effect, The. Fact or Fantasy?" From the About.com Website, Early Childhood Education section. September 13, 1999. January 23, 2001. . Nourie, Dana. "Mood Music." Family Life. November 1999. January 23, 2001. . Robledo, S. Jhoanna. "Baby Development – Music and Your Baby (Newborn to One Year)." January 23, 2001. .