Essay
The Effects of Music Instruction on Cognitive Development and Reading Skills—An Overview
Published in No. 189, Summer 2011
Abstract
Research suggests that music study may have an impact on cognitive development and reading readiness skills (Barwick, Valentine, West, & Wilding, 1989; Douglas & Willatts, 1994; Saffran, Johnson, Aslin, & Newport, 1999; Butzlaff, 2000). There are a number of similarities between learning to read language and music. Music and written text both require the reading of notation from left to right, and conversion of notation into a specific sound (Butzlaff, 2000). More important, the auditory analysis skills used in language processing (phonological distinctions, blending and segmentation of sounds) are similar to the skills necessary for music perception of rhythmic (Lamb & Gregory, 1993; Lipscomb, Lundell, Sevett, & Scripp, 2008), harmonic, and melodic discrimination (Anvari, Trainor, Woodside, & Levy, 2002; Barwick et al., 1989; Lamb & Gregory, 1993). This review of literature will focus on music instruction’s effect on cognitive performance, spatial-temporal development, and the development of reading skills and phonemic awareness. While describing five successful arts-enhanced curricula in practice, this review of literature will also briefly discuss the problems of instruction for the sake of research as well as the difficulties of research studies within the context of long-term curricular programs.
