Music and learning

I don't think there's any surprise when I suggest that there might be a link between education and music. There are certainly plenty of studies and visible evidence to show us how music can help us understand and learn about the world around us. There's even an educational theory presented by Howard Gardner called Multiple Intelligence Theory that says that there are different ways that people learn best and some people learn best when using music in their education.

So what are some examples of where music could come in handy for parents of preschoolers who are trying to help their child get ready for school?

Well, let's start with some of the songs you used as a child to help you learn. You can't think of anything? What about the Alphabet song? You probably forgot about it because you don't remember learning it. It's been such an important tool that you take it for granted. Think about what letter comes after T. Are you singing the song in your head to come up with it? More than likely the answer is yes.

This same process is being used in classes all around the United States. When I did my student teaching for Kindergarten, we worked on a color each week and there was a song for each color as well. (We used the songs from the CD collection which you can find using the link to the left.) One song, BLUE, used the tune for the "Farmer in the Dell" and another, YELLOW, used the tune for "If You're Happy and You Know It." These were great tools to learn how to spell the color, and recognize it in the larger world. There were several kids who were still singing the RED song four weeks down the road while they were working on their PURPLE books.

Music can also be used effectively for older students. One of my favorite examples is a song called "Why Does the Sun Shine" by They Might be Giants. This catchy song talks about this inner working of a star in a way that makes sense, but also is easy to remember.

There are many opportunities to use music since there are many educators and musical artists that have taken on the task of providing educational music. Sure some of it may be more than your child is ready for, but one of the beautiful things about music is that it has the ability to stick with you and come back when you need it. I'll just give one more recommendation here of a CD to check out. Dr. Jean has a mission to help your child learn about every topic under the sun. I haven't seen all of her CDs, but I've seen quite a few of them, and there doesn't seem to be a topic she won't try to make a song about. Do you want to do a lesson on the seasons? She's got a song for that. Do you want to teach about the life cycle of a butterfly? There's a song for that too.

There are plenty of musical artists that are working to provided music to help with your child's education. Do some looking around, and I'm sure you'll find exactly what you're looking for.