Raising Global Kid

This literature review will discuss the different ways in which music can affect the brain and its functions. Firstly, the effects that music can have in a school environment will be discussed and how they can affect the school environment. A correlation between musical knowledge and different aspects of learning will be made, while also discussing the importance of the concrete operational mental phase that the brain goes through. Following that, the connection between reading music and reading books in school will be shown, while also giving an example of how music helps your brain learn a secondary language and mathematical ability. After that, there will be an example of a study that was conducted that disproved that music provides any sort of academic advantages, and instead offers more benefits to building self-esteem. The effectiveness of background music will be discussed following that section, and examples of studies will be given in which background music had helped reduce bullying in a school, and how incorrectly played background music would impair the musicians’ ability to take certain tests effectively. Music therapy will be discussed after that. The description of what it is, how effective it is and how it can affect the clients who wish to participate in musical therapy.

* ““95% percent of Americans believe that music is a key-component in a child’s well-rounded education, 80% percent of respondents agreed that music makes the participants smarter; 78% believe that learning a musical instrument helps students perform better in other subject areas; and 88% believe participation in music helps teach children discipline” (Hurley 3),” (par 1).

Over the past 20 years, numerous scientific studies found a strong positive relation between playing music, intellectual capacity, personal growth and social interaction with others. Researchers maintained that music can also help children in acquiring literacy, consequently improving their academic achievement. We now know that music impacts different areas of child development; including intellectual, social and emotional, motor, language, and literacy skills (Barrett & Bond, 2014).

In an increasingly interconnected world, America remains alarmingly isolated due to cultural rigidity. Though often dubbed a “melting pot” of people and ideas (Wolff, 2), this is quite the misnomer. Most Americans have no experience with anything outside of the country. In fact, almost 64 percent have never travelled outside their own familiar borders (Fischl, 1) and less than 25 percent can speak a foreign language conversationally (Wolff, 2). This lack of global literacy comes at a high price. In order to thrive internationally in areas such as economics and politics, the United States needs people proficient in the global culture (Altshuler and Skorton, 1). Fortunately, through the cultivation of foreign language, integration of foreign

Have you ever felt as though listening to music helped you focus when learning? Have you felt it increased your brain activity and made you work better and faster? Music is a fascinating element used by many people from different cultures to express themselves and learn. An argument at large with the use of music is, can music truly further and express learning and cognitive development? Like most debates, this topic has two opposing sides, as to whether it can or cannot affect the brain. On one side, it has been said that music has a positive effect on learning, development and brain activity and on the other hand, it has been said to have little to no effect. From the research and studies conducted, music has a positive effect on cognitive development, recall and learning. When working, listening to music can

Music is part of most of our everyday lives. Adults and Children value music for entertainment purposes, though many of us may not consider what it has to offer us beyond this use. From very early on, children learn nursery rhymes and explore the world of rhythm using pots and pans and wooden spoons. Many individuals acknowledge the importance of music in our lives for enrichment and culture. Research is beginning to uncover the far reaching benefits of music, not just for enjoyment, but also for the social, linguistic, cultural and even psychological benefits it has to offer.

According to a study by the University of Phoenix Research Institute, “demand for American workers who speak foreign languages- particularly Spanish and Chinese- will rise over the next decade”(“Rising Demand for Bilingual Workers among Employers”). As the United States continues to diversify, being bilingual or multilingual is becoming a key part to be successful in life. A student’s school education, beginning at the first day of kindergarten, is supposed to build and prepare a student for the future, so why is properly learning a new language not a priority from the start? The teaching of a foreign language should begin elementary school because learning at an earlier age is optimum for an easier and effective learning process and provides significant benefits that can last a lifetime.

learning to read music and understand concepts like time, rhythm, and pitch have a direct effect on a child’s ability to comprehend math skills. Secondly, studying the lyrics of music can teach students about syllabification, phonics, vocabulary, imagery, history, myths, folktales, geography, and culture. Also studies show there is a direct correlation between continued involvement in theater and success in math and reading. Students learning English as a second language may learn it faster with the use of music. Thematic learning helps children learn in a safe, enjoyable, student-centered environment. Students who take the time to master a musical instrument learn about hard work, practice, and discipline. While performing in a group – like

There are multiple ways that music helps a student learn. When learning music, it helps with all forms of cognitive learning. Music helps a students to love to learn. It helps the brain to memorize. Music helps the student to learn patterns.”Children can develop their math and pattern-recognition skills with the help of musical education. Playing music offers repetition in a fun

them. They are not only introduced to new cultures and experiences, but they learn to appreciate their own culture as well. A second language creates for a well-rounded child who has an eagerness to learn and gain a broader view of the world.

The United States is first in imports and second in exports, where in 2015, 2.16 trillion dollars’ worth of products were imported into the country, and 1.38 trillion dollars’ of American products were exported (Simones). Even in the United States knowing a foreign language can give an individual many experiences that only knowing English cannot provide. One can imagine walking through Manhattan neighborhoods, where Spanish can be heard from the Dominican barrio of Washington Heights, or Mandarin from the vibrant Chinatown. The experience would be completely different for a monolingual person compared to a bilingual or trilingual person. Three possible solutions to improve world language education in the United States is to offer more foreign languages to teach, such as Arabic or Chinese, require three or four years to graduate from high school and be admitted into a college or trade school, and to teach foreign

Music has elements which tie in with other school subjects such as math and history. When first learning music and the counting for each note, it can represent simple fractions that is learned in third grade math. Students can learn the different genres of music and the history behind what they love. In addition to the early exposure of basic education, music can also expand one’s knowledge in other subjects. Listening and learning music can stimulate parts of the brain that the simple reading, writing, and mathematics classes can’t. It has been said before that listening to classical music can stimulate certain neurons in the brain, which improves test scores. Overall, music can be beneficial to all aspects of

Encourages Creativity: Music is an imaginative art, so encouraging participation in musical activities will help children develop robust imaginations. From composing their own melodies and songs to discovering that everyday objects such as sticks and pots can double as instruments, music provides children with endless opportunities to develop their creative faculties.

Language is a key part of any family, community, culture and the human race. Without language the world today would be much different. From cavemen, to the Egyptian use of hieroglyphics, to Old English, to more than 6,500 languages spoken around the world today, the advances that humans have made in language is remarkable and inspiring. The ability to speak, read, write and understand more than one language is also remarkable and expands the liberties in life, especially for young people. High school students should be required to take at least two years of a foreign language class in order to graduate, as many recent studies support the benefits of doing so. Students who have learned a foreign language in high school have proven to have a

Young children, adolescents, and adults are all being taught foreign languages around the world either by themselves or a teacher, but one certain generation should be learning the language in school. Preschools teaching foreign language increase the brains of children and he/she’s knowledge of life. Considering that, “. . . in five years the average school student gets only about 540 hours (the equivalent of only about 2 months at 8 hours a day) of exposure to the foreign language they are learning” (Nagel). Most high school students forget what they learned or are just are not interested in the language. However, children pick up languages and are additionally capable of remembering languages if taught exceedingly young. Furthermore, adolescents/adults who do not take a language would be superior if they learned a foreign language earlier in life. Learning foreign languages overall can help with the growing global economy as well. Although it may not seem important, learning foreign languages as preschoolers rather than adolescents is more advantageous for mastering a foreign language, which may contribute to an individual's success in a global economy.