Music is the key behind children learning the Alphabet. Melody and phrasing enable the learning in bite sizes of the entire alphabet. Similarly, the practice of learning the times table employs the use of melody, phrasing and rhythm.
The famous Dr. Suess’s ‘Cat In The Hat’ books, teach children to read in poetry form, which leans heavily on rhythm.
There are educational CDs and tapes to be found that use music and song to teach other subject matters.
In matters of ‘special educational needs’, music serves as a prime resource for motor skills, coordination, aestheticism and self-expression. Imagine a child who enters a school, but, for whichever reason, has withdrawn and will not speak. Then consider the same child, who, months later, through gradual participation, enjoys musical activities and is happily singing away.
Imagine the child who, whilst being somewhat disruptive in other
classes, expresses his emotions through music, enjoys the task ahead, embraces group and individual tuition, and as a consequence, aspires to greater heights.
According to the Duchess of Kent, a primary school music teacher herself, every child has musical ability.
“Children grow through musicâ€. Music, writes the Duchess in a report in the Daily Mail 19th April 2004, …â€can compliment the teaching of almost every subjectâ€.
For example in mathematics, note durations utilizes division.†Comparing time signatures (beats to the bar) with fractions allows children to see the mathematical logic of musicâ€.
Geography can be explored through the playing and discussion of folk music from various countries.
PE. The government complain that children are becoming obese, “music teachers are encouraging young people to dance, tap their toes, clap their hands and sway in time to the musicâ€
Religious Education. Religious music explores religions and cultures from across the world.
English. Singing develops the comprehension of vocabulary and it’s definitions.
History. Many songs have an historical interest. Songs from a certain period can be reflective of the time in which they were written.
Science. Says the Duchess, “What is a vibrating string if it is not a physics lesson?â€
The Duchess says, “Encouraging a young person to develop a musical skill can aid his learning elsewhere. Musical skill can stimulate academic prowess…â€
www.telegraph.cp.uk March 3rd 2001 Music, Maths and Languages
Learning a musical instrument will improve a child’s maths and language performance… says Peter Kendall
Recent research indicates that music is the enabler of subjects as diverse as maths, foreign languages and scientific problem solving
…The links between music and mathematics have been known for thousands of years. The Ancient Greeks regarded music as one of the four branches of mathematics; Pythagoras acknowledged the importance of proportion in harmony and melody.
…When children learn the distance between two notes, they are learning spatial relationships.
When they learn rhythm, they are learning ratios, fractions and proportions.
On language - …Music itself is a complete language with its own vocabulary, structure, alphabet and range of styles…very similar to what we do when we try to turn something written in French into idiomatic English.
