A recent study called “Effects of Parent/Child Group Music Activities on Toddler Development: A Pilot Study” turned up in the journal Music Therapy Perspectives.
Conducted out of Florida State by Standley, Walworth, and Nguyen, its goal was to assess whether structured group music activities have an effect, either positive or negative, on toddlers between 12 and 24 months old. As well, the study group combined children at typical developmental stages with those who were considered at risk of developmental delays.
Did the study get results? Well, let’s just post a quote:
“Results showed that participation in four to seven music sessions significantly increased higher level developmental skills. Significantly more children in the music group demonstrated higher level music and cognitive skills than did those in the control group.”
The study goes on to recommend that…
“Future research should pursue these findings with larger sample sizes and consider long term implications.”
We certainly hope they pursue a longer term study. We at Kindermusik believe the results will be just as encouraging!
It’s no secret that music is important to children’s development. But what this study adds to the mix is that structured group music activities appear to have measurable benefits.
Music is food for children’s brains. We want their brains to grow big and fat, right? So make sure you’re stuffing them full of music—and for some extra vitamins, try doing it in a structured group setting.
Want to learn more about the benefits of Kindermusik? Click here. For a link to the Music Therapy Perspectives website, click here.