| Literature DB >> 25409300 |
Jessica Slater1, Dana L Strait2, Erika Skoe1, Samantha O'Connell3, Elaine Thompson1, Nina Kraus4.
Abstract
Children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds tend to fall progressively further behind their higher-income peers over the course of their academic careers. Music training has been associated with enhanced language and learning skills, suggesting that music programs could play a role in helping low-income children to stay on track academically. Using a controlled, longitudinal design, the impact of group music instruction on English reading ability was assessed in 42 low-income Spanish-English bilingual children aged 6-9 years in Los Angeles. After one year, children who received music training retained their age-normed level of reading performance while a matched control group's performance deteriorated, consistent with expected declines in this population. While the extent of change is modest, outcomes nonetheless provide evidence that music programs may have value in helping to counteract the negative effects of low-socioeconomic status on child literacy development.Entities:
Mesh:
Year: 2014 PMID: 25409300 PMCID: PMC4237413 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113383
Source DB: PubMed Journal: PLoS One ISSN: 1932-6203 Impact factor: 3.240
Group characteristics before training.
| Training Group | Control Group | Statistic | |
| (n = 23) | (n = 19) | ||
| Age (years) | mean 7.91 (SD = 0.733) | 7.89 (SD = 0.875) | F(1,40) = .005, p = 0.942 |
| Sex | 13 females | 13 females | χ2 = 0.625, p = 0.530 |
| Maternal education (years) | 10.14 (4.35) | 10.74 (4.07) | F(1,40) = 0.207, p = 0.652 |
| Verbal IQ (T score) | 47.13 (10.91) | 44.68 (9.050) | F(1,40) = 0.609, p = 0.440 |
| Non-verbal IQ (T score) | 53.22 (10.479) | 51.21 (12.177) | F(1,40) = 0.329, p = 0.569 |
| Age of acquisition of English (years) | 2.04 (1.69) | 2.00 (1.73) | F(1,40) = 0.007, p = 0.935 |
Musicianship Class: Learning Objectives.
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| Identify, read and perform basic note/rest values, measures, bar lines, meters (e.g. music math) |
| Identify and perform simple rhythmic patterns and ostinatos with a steady beat |
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| Name lines/spaces on the staff (treble and bass clef, basic understating of grand staff and C clef) |
| Identify and perform simple melodic patterns |
| Match and adjust pitch |
| Follow pitch direction through movement |
| Sing and identify major and minor scales |
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| Sing and perform independently and in groups, on pitch and in rhythm, blending timbres |
| Follow a conductor for dynamics, tempo, and cues |
| Exhibit appropriate rehearsal etiquette |
| Students echo short rhythms and melodic patterns (call and response) |
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| Improvise "answers" in the same style to given rhythmic and melodic phrases (another form of call and response) |
| Improvise simple rhythmic variations and melodic embellishments on familiar melodies |
| Create and arrange short songs and instrumental pieces within specified guidelines |
| Write and perform simple compositions |
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| Explain personal preferences for music and styles using appropriate terminology for music, music notation, music instruments and voices |
| Identify instruments and their sounds, including instruments from various cultures |
| Listen to music, analyze and describe structure/emotion |
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| Melody, rhythm, and harmony |
| Beat, measure, bar line, repeat sign, double bar |
| Tempo (lento, adagio, allegro & presto) |
| Dynamics (p, mp, mf, f, crescendo and decrescendo) |
| Whole, half, dotted half, quarter, and eighth notes; |
| Whole, half, quarter rests |
| Time signature (4/4, 2/4, 3/4) |
| Verse, chorus |
| Tutti, solo, duet |
| Scale |
| Chord |
| Grand Staff, treble clef, bass clef, C clef |
| Sharp, flat |
| Key signature |
| Intonation |
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| Conductor |
| Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Guitar, Harp |
| Winds: Recorder, Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Saxophone |
| Brass: French horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba |
| Percussion: Timpani, Cymbals, Snare Drum, Drum Set, etc. |
| Piano and Keyboard |
Summary of instrumental programs and instruments played.
| Harmony Project program | Typical weekly class participation | Number of children |
| Alexandria Elementary School | One-hour instrumental classes twice a week plus a two hour string ensemble rehearsal each week | 3 |
| Beyond the Bell | Twice-weekly two-hour ensemble rehearsals. These include pull-out sectional rehearsals, which are similar to large instrumental classes at other sites. | 9 |
| EXPO Center (YOLA) | One-hour instrumental music classes each week and a three hour ensemble rehearsal each week. | 3 |
| Hollywood | One-hour instrumental classes twice a week plus a three-hour ensemble rehearsal (concert band) each week. | 4 |
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| Bass | 3 | |
| Cello | 2 | |
| Trumpet | 8 | |
| Viola | 1 | |
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| Musicianship/recorder | 5 | |
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Figure 1Music training supports reading abilities and rapid naming.
(A) The children who received music training (n = 23) maintained their age-normed level of reading performance after one year (year 1: 109.5+/−2.1 (mean +/−1 S.E.), year 2: 109.3+/−2.0), while the untrained children's scores declined (n = 19) (year 1: 106.8+/−2.4, year 2: 103.5+/−2.4). (B) The musically-trained group improved on rapid naming (year 1: 103.7+/−2.1, year 2: 107.0+/−2.4), while the untrained controls showed no improvement (year 1: 103.9+/−2.6; year 2: 102.8+/−2.9). The groups did not differ on either measure at the outset of the study.
Figure 2Improvement in rapid naming relates to reading improvement.
Year-over-year improvement in rapid naming was correlated with the change in composite reading score across all participants (r = .412, p = .007, n = 42).