An Analysis of Reading and Content Area Skills Improvement through Music Instruction

Diamantes, Thomas, Young, Karen M., McBee, Kimberly, Reading Improvement

This paper provides an analysis of reading and content area subject improvement through music instruction and examines the issue of teaching music in today's schools. The music curriculum is sometimes the victim of economic hard-times. The article argues numerous benefits and advantages derived from music instruction. The study discusses the use of music to increase cognitive development. It also examines the benefits of music in curriculum areas such as reading but also examines improvements in the content areas of math and social studies. It highlights the benefits to reach the whole student: social and academic.

**********

The founder of our American School system, Horace Mann, believed that music was necessary for the development of aesthetic appreciation, citizenship, and thinking. (Hedden, 1982).

In today's schools, music as a subject of study is just as important as it was in Mann's day, but far too many school boards and administrators do not consider the study of music to be one of the basics of education. Music is valued more as entertainment than for its contribution to the development of our cultural life. Additionally, during times of budget worries music class is one of the first areas to be cut, sometimes followed by reducing classes in art and physical education.

Here are some thoughts on music included in what some people call conventional wisdom or just plain common sense. Music has been said to "Soothe the savage Beast." It is used in celebrations and in hardship and is certainly an expression of emotion. Throughout history, music was used to bolster the morale of troops in combat and to ridicule or intimidate the enemy. Some doctors believe that music can help in healing the sick. Now, it is thought that music can boost academic performance. Most people will recognize the fact that learning is reinforced through music and rhythm, if they are reminded that children can sing the "ABC's" song long before they can recite the alphabet. Memorization is enhanced by …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: An Analysis of Reading and Content Area Skills Improvement through Music Instruction. Contributors: Diamantes, Thomas - Author, Young, Karen M. - Author, McBee, Kimberly - Author. Journal title: Reading Improvement. Volume: 39. Issue: 3 Publication date: Fall 2002. Page number: 114+. © 2009 Project Innovation (Alabama). COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group.

This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.