Music and School Work

One of the things that I discovered through our path of homeschooling is the fact that when it is too quiet in the house Sunshine fidgets more, constantly is kicking the bar on her desk, makes noises, overall has a hard time concentrating even when I am discussing something with her. I’ve researched and read many articles about music and it’s role in calming the brain from all outside distractions while completing the daily tasks of homework to office work. This is often referred to the Mozart Effect. Many Universities have researched this idea, and while there are still a lot of skeptics and those who say that music distracts the brain creating for lower grade scores, I lean towards if it helps my child then we shall have some music playing softly in the background. I found this article to support what I see in our home during studying.

It doesn’t surprise me any that Sunshine would find having music playing in the background to be soothing and to help her concentrate better, since even I myself as a kid couldn’t stand the silence in the classroom during intense study or taking a test. I reflect back and music was always a huge part of our home. Even my father could not get through the day without humming or singing while he worked. Did his humming and singing have an affect on the quality of work he did? I believe it did, I believe it kept the outside world out and allowed him to completely concentrate on the task before him. He use to preach, “Sing while you Work!” He always said, “If you have a song in your heart you will be a happier person, leading toward a happier worker, producing more.” I always found this advice to help me get through some of the most dull jobs I have ever had.

I often find Sunshine sitting in her bedroom with her radio turned on, her nose buried in a book, or sitting and quietly playing pretend with her toys. This made me want to try to see what bringing music into our classroom would do for her. We started school this morning without music, the legs started kicking, the focus just didn’t seem to be there, even the concept I was trying to teach just was not being absorbed. She fidgeted, often to glance off to another corner of the room, and even her writing seemed sloppy. I stopped school and turned on some music leaving the volume low. The kicking stopped, the fidgeting stopped, she listened and hung on every word I said as we discussed the new concepts. Her reading improved, and her ability to copy different patterns became simpler then ever before.

While the research may still be out on the idea of music helping some people to be more affective students, this mom is totally sold on the idea that it helps her student. Of course I will not play heavy metal music, or head banging music, but we will be continuing to experiment with the types of soft music that will help Sunshine to stay focused and improving her concentration.