Summary: Incorporating musical lessons into preschool classes can significantly help to improve children’s linguistic skills, researchers report.

Source: University of Helsinki.

Several studies have suggested that intensive musical training enhances children’s linguistic skills. Such training, however, is not available to all children.

Researchers at Cognitive Brain Research Unit in the University of Helsinki studied in a community setting whether a low-cost, weekly music playschool provided to 5-6-year-old children in kindergartens affects their linguistic abilities.

The children (N=66) were tested four times over two school-years with phoneme processing and vocabulary subtests, along with tests for perceptual reasoning skills and inhibitory control.

According to the results, published in Scientific Reports, music playschool significantly improved the development of children’s phoneme processing and vocabulary skills, compared to their peers either attending to similarly organized dance lessons or not attending to either activity.

“Our data suggest that even playful group music activities – if attended to for several years – have a positive effect on preschoolers’ linguistic skills,” says the first author of the research, Tanja Linnavalli.

“Therefore we promote the concept of implementing regular music playschool lessons given by professional teachers in early childhood education.”

About this neuroscience research article

Source: Tanja Linnavalli – University of Helsinki

Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com.

Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.

Original Research: Open access research for “Music playschool enhances children’s linguistic skills” by Tanja Linnavalli, Vesa Putkinen, Jari Lipsanen, Minna Huotilainen & Mari Tervaniemi in Scientific Reports. Published June 8 2018

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-27126-5

Cite This NeuroscienceNews.com Article

[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]University of Helsinki “Music Playschool Enhances Children’s Linguistic Skills.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 12 June 2018.

<https://neurosciencenews.com/music-linguistics-9321/>.[/cbtab][cbtab title=”APA”]University of Helsinki (2018, June 12). Music Playschool Enhances Children’s Linguistic Skills. NeuroscienceNews. Retrieved June 12, 2018 from https://neurosciencenews.com/music-linguistics-9321/[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Chicago”]University of Helsinki “Music Playschool Enhances Children’s Linguistic Skills.” https://neurosciencenews.com/music-linguistics-9321/ (accessed June 12, 2018).[/cbtab][/cbtabs]

Abstract

Music playschool enhances children’s linguistic skills

Several studies have suggested that intensive musical training enhances children’s linguistic skills. Such training, however, is not available to all children. We studied in a community setting whether a low-cost, weekly music playschool provided to 5–6-year-old children in kindergartens could already affect their linguistic abilities. Children (N = 66) were tested four times over two school-years with Phoneme processing and Vocabulary subtests, along with tests for Perceptual reasoning skills and Inhibitory control. We compared the development of music playschool children to their peers either attending to similarly organized dance lessons or not attending to either activity. Music playschool significantly improved the development of children’s phoneme processing and vocabulary skills. No such improvements on children’s scores for non-verbal reasoning and inhibition were obtained. Our data suggest that even playful group music activities – if attended to for several years – have a positive effect on pre-schoolers’ linguistic skills. Therefore we promote the concept of implementing regular music playschool lessons given by professional teachers in early childhood education.

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