Music and Your School-age Child

Whether it's dancing around the living room on a rainy day or singing along to the radio, school-age children love listening to — and participating in — music. And there are loads of good reasons why you should encourage this enthusiasm.

Research has shown that children who are actively involved in music (who play it or sing it regularly):

• Do better in reading
• Learn coordination, goal-setting, concentration, and cooperation
• Are more likely to do better in math and science because music helps build reasoning skills and cognitive development, which are important to both
• Get along better with their peers and have higher self-esteem
• Are more likely to go to college

One study demonstrated that second-grade students who were given keyboard training while also using math software scored higher on proportional math and fractions tests than students who used the software alone. And students who have been involved in public school music programs score higher on their SATs than those who don't.

But don't let the research cloud perhaps the best reason to encouraging a love of music: It's just plain fun. There are few things that children (and many adults) enjoy more than singing, dancing, and listening to music.

Living in Surround Sound

Listening to a wide variety of music improves a child's ability to analyze and comprehend it. The early elementary years are the perfect time to expose your child to everything from classical to country. Until the third or fourth grade, most children are open to experiencing a wide range of musical styles; around third grade they start to prefer popular music. (Studies have also shown that children in grades four and up prefer music with a faster tempo — so get ready to rock & roll if your child is approaching middle school.)

Fill your child's life with as much music as you can. Some ideas:

• Put a small stereo or boombox and a rotating collection of CDs in your child's room.
• Giving your child a musical alarm clock or clock radio can help your child wake up musically. Many stereos have timers that let your child to drift off to music as well. Certain songs can serve as cues for your child (for instance, one song you always play or sing in the morning).
• Sample CDs from your local library. You can try different artists and styles without spending any money.
• Introduce your child to songs from your own childhood or music you especially love.
• Sing in the car.
• Make or buy musical instruments and have them available in your child's play area.
• Cook to music, clean to music, and take time sometimes just to sit and listen as an activity.
• Try music-making computer software programs that let your child lay down his or her own tracks, just like a professional.
• Form your own family band with real or improvised instruments (spoons, makeshift drums, etc.). This is a good group activity for your child to try with friends.

Is My Child Ready for Lessons?

You may be wondering if your music-loving child is ready for lessons. Most kids are ready for formal music instruction between ages 5 and 7. The piano is a logical place to start — kids who learn keyboarding skills also learn the fundamental musical concepts needed for other instruments or even for vocal music. String instruments are another good place to begin. Brass or wind instruments can be more physically challenging and may not be appropriate until the fourth or fifth grade.