Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Turning Music On

     

Picture credit: www.inavyn.org

         You might be wondering what music has to do with education. The answer is simple, the effect of music in education. These days it is common to have headphones on while reading something. Music brings certain moods and feelings to the reading process. Indeed, everybody has heard that classical music can enhance brain capability; you will be surprised to know that other music genres improve learning abilities too. Music can help students even in a classroom.
         The study of Freeburne and Fleischer (1952) explored which genre of music influences better reading comprehension. The research was done through testing participants while reading in silence, while listening to classical music, and while listening to jazz. Interestingly, the genre that impacted on better reading comprehension was not classical but jazz. This made me wonder what other music variations can be useful while studying.
                           A blog with an anonymous writer that had almost 2 million “like” tags shares the following facts on the basis of the research by clinical psychologist Dr. Emma Gray.
·         Calm classical music with 60-70 beats per minute for longer study hours to obtain lots of information. For instance, Beethoven’s Fur Elise or Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”.
·          50-80 beats per minute music for logical thinking and factual information, to absorb new facts. The Writer gives particular suggestions such as We Can’t Stop” by Miley Cyrus and “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake.
·         Emotive rock and pop music for creative thinking. Katy Perry’s “Firework” and “I Can’t Get No (Satisfaction)” by The Rolling Stones will be best examples.
         How can music be a helping tool for education? There are several ways of benefiting from music in education. It is a brilliant idea for a teacher to use music to teach vocabulary and grammar for elementary children. Music lyrics are good reading methodology (Groff, 1976). In addition to reading comprehension skills, music lyrics correct children’s diction, inflections, rhythm and articulation. Reading with the help of classic music helps slow and retarded students. He also mentions that retarded students need more creative approaches to learning, and music therapy can be one of these approaches.
          As you can see music helps in and out of classroom. Musical methodology and music therapy reinforce learning skills of students. The type of music depends on the kind of task you intend to do. Now that you know a bit about the kind of music and its effects, you can bravely turn your music on and study. 

References
Groff, P. (1976). The effect of music on reading. Reading Horizons, 17 (1), 20-24.
Freeburne, C. M. & Fleischer, M. S. (1952). The effect of music distraction upon reading rate and comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 43(2), 101-109.
Contributing Writer. (2013, September 9). How Listening To Music While Studying Makes You Smarter. Elite Daily. Retrieved from http://elitedaily.com/music/music-news/listening-to-music-while-you-study-makes-you-smarter/

3 comments:

  1. I am always interested in the using of music in education. During my practice at the school I`ve used 'turning on music' approach to make the learning process more effective. I did it several times, so the positive changes in children`s studies might not be noticeable in such short period of time.

    I also prefer to listen to music while reading articles in the library. I usually listen to dubstep. Somebody might be shocked by this, but this kind of music lets me relax and concentrate on the tasks.

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  2. Personally, I cannot read while listen music. It seems to me that my brain does not work effectively. Therefore, I prefer to study in quite places. For example, in summer times I like read books outside the offices and living rooms. It gives me more opportunity to understand the topic better and enjoy with reading materials. However, considering the fact that winter in Astana lasts longer than other parts of Kazakhstan, I go to libraries or quite places.
    Music education is also crucial for building teamwork and self-esteem in a person’s life. In general, I utilize “turning music on” approach not only in the classroom, but also in my daily life whether at home or not.

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  3. Thanks a lot for the post! I am fan of music. I personally believe that music is the best invention of human beings. Music helps to fight with depression. When I feel bad or upset I listen to music and start to dance. I relax and feel good when I listen to music. Moreover, I listen to music when I do all my assignments. It does not matter whether it is reading or writing assignment. It gives me energy to work harder. There is only one problem that I like listening music very loud. Therefore, my neighbors in the library make remarks to reduce the sound. Honestly, it makes me sad.

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