The Sound of Music - It's Not Just Entertainment by Sharlene Habermeyer Centuries ago, Plato said, "Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other for education." The importance of music in the learning process has been recognized for a long time. Have you noticed your child seems to remember something better when it is set to music or poetry? Many children can sing every word of the Alphabet Song before they can identify a single letter. Music expert Sharlene Habermeyer says during the time of Aristotle, music was considered one of the four pillars of learning. Research backs it up Today, due to recent scientific research on the brain, we are beginning to understand how music may enhance learning. Music has been shown to involve left, right, front and back portions of the brain. It also has been demonstrated to strengthen the auditory cortex of the brain, the area of the brain where sounds are processed and where most learning difficulties originate. By measuring the brain's electrical activity, researchers recently determined that the arrangement of pathways in the auditory cortex of the brain is much like that of a piano keyboard. Studies show that muscians have about 25% more auditory pathways than non-muscians. Scientists also have discovered that listening to classical music can increase memory and concentration, and that studying a musical instrument has been shown to increase spatial reasoning. Some studies have even shown that listening to certain kinds of classical music may improve the ability to solve problems relating to higher forms of mathmatics. Bring music into your homes According to scientists, the best time to begin formal music lessons is between ages 3 and 10. However, you can bring music into your child's life even before he is born. Children of any age benefit from hearing certain types of music, and many will begin bouncing to musical accompaniment before they can walk. Most 12-month olds enjoy banging on a toy drum or pot, and 2-year olds love to accompany songs with rattles and tambourines. Music creates a positive atmosphere, which helps learning. If you have a child who seems addicted to television, turn it off and turn on the radio or tape/CD player. Many times children don't care about actually watching television, they just want to hear sound in the background of their play. You can support your child's learning through exploration by playing classical music while he plays. Meidya Derni URL: http://kids.ji-indonesia.com >> Kirim bunga dukacita, ucapan selamat dll ke mancanegara? Klik, >http://www.indokado.com/international/ >> Info balita, http://www.balita-anda.indoglobal.com Etika berinternet, email ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Stop berlangganan, e-mail ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
