Music Improves Brain Function in Children

Reader Contribution by Faith Moser
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Faith Moser is the creator of eco ike {organic baby t’s + cookbooks full of yummy, healthy and quick recipes for kids and grown-ups}! If you want your kids to grow, live, eat & play green, visit ecoike.com.

Has your child been asking to play the guitar or drums? Good news for those budding little musicians! Kids who played musical instruments achieved higher results on both intelligence and memory tests.

Childhood music lessons have long term effects on the brain. “Musical activity throughout life may serve as a challenging cognitive exercise, making your brain fitter and more capable of accommodating the challenges of aging,” says the lead researcher, Brenda Hanna-Pladdy, PhD of the American Psychological Association. In another study by Northwestern University in Illinois, music lessons were credited for boosting language and speech skills, memory and attention spans, and the ability to pick up a new language.

Playing music helps to keep the mind healthy! Starting childhood music lessons is a great way to connect a child with instruments and music. When starting lessons for your child, consider the following:

  • Is he/she old enough?
  • Showing avid interest and enthusiasm in an instrument?
  • Can they sit still and pay attention?
  • Does the instructor get along well with your child and work well with that age group?

If lessons are not an option, try exposing your children to different genres of music, music programs and concerts to gain the positive effects of music.

  • Published on Sep 12, 2011
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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