For example, a child who doesn’t resonate with piano lessons may love group drumming sessions. It’s essential to find a teacher who emphasizes movement and teaches to the gifts, using multiple techniques to find what works well for each student. If this happens, simply stop the lessons and look for a different teacher, a different instrument, or a different approach. Occasionally we hear of a student who doesn’t like music lessons. They need the music! Happy Music is Essential So don’t make a child choose between reading lessons and music. Music training may salvage a damaged ego or bring back the sparkle to a child who has almost given up. Music Lessons are as Important as Reading Lessons It not only improves reading skills down the road, but it also provides a lifetime of enjoyment and a positive way to interact with others. But, however it works, the research is clear that music training is a huge help for dyslexic students. These exciting results may be because music uses both sides of the brain and shares many of the parts of the brain used for processing language. ![]() found that music training produces improved reading skills. Overy (2003) concluded that rhythm and singing games improve spelling and phonological and auditory skills in children with dyslexia. ( Trainor, Shahin, & Roberts, 2009) Music Improves Reading Learning to play an instrument or sing leads to more brain plasticity than just listening to music. Music training actually augments brain growth in specific ways that help remediate dyslexia! ( Habib,et al., 2016 Eren et al., 2012 Emmerson, 2013 Overy 2003 Ouimet and Balaban, 2010) There are many more references, but these will do for now. As with most learning, daily short practice is far more effective than longer stints at greater intervals. For most children, five to ten minutes per day, every day, is the way to go. ![]() Hours of practice every day are not needed though some students will want to do that. Music success deserves the same celebration as academic or sports success. Notice when the child masters a tune or scale or makes up her own music to express herself. She learned the notes by dancing on them and singing them as well as seeing them on paper and fingering them on the piano. She arrived at the teacher’s house to find a giant piano keyboard on the floor. Music, like all learning, should be fun! A teacher that loves teaching and employs kid-friendly techniques with lots of movement is best. This fine-tunes the brain to better perceive the rhythm of speech and language as well. ![]() Very young children enjoy accompanying music with a shaker or drum. Experiencing joy in music leads to improved cognitive success across many endeavors, including reading. Musical training opens a door to developing whatever talents exist. Although many people with dyslexia are gifted in music, that’s not the point. Next, don’t think of music training as a chance to produce a music prodigy. Music training is life-enriching and intellectually stimulating for anyone. Music Training as Dyslexia Therapyįirst, don’t think of it as therapy. Musical approaches that emphasize rhythm and movement seem best suited for teaching dyslexic students. Also, dyslexic students often exhibit remarkable musical talent. Students with dyslexia who study music also improve their reading and language skills. Around the world, dyslexia researchers uncovered what was hidden in plain sight. Recent research shows that music education pays off for reading instruction as well! Music in Dyslexia Education ResearchĪround 2003, research into the effects of music training on dyslexia increased dramatically. Listen to this episode and then come back for more in the next episode and you’ll learn why Becki calls ADD her superpower.Music training means learning to play an instrument or sing, employing as many senses as possible - fingering the instrument, hearing pitches, seeing the score, feeling the rhythm, moving to the beat. Since Becki is an expert in both fields and since there was SO much to cover, it was decided to divide our chat between two episodes. I wanted to know how she copes?Īnd, how has this diagnosis made just 4 years ago, impacted her life?īecki didn’t hold back, I got my answers and I can’t wait to share them with you. So, thankfully, she agreed to be my guest on this spotlight episode.Īnd because I’m curious, there was another topic that I really wanted to discuss with Becki and so we did. ![]() Whoa, did we cover some important info for teachers! And, we unpacked reasons why music is SO important for those who suffer from dyslexia.Īt the Tonara Music Expo held in December, longtime friend and colleague Becki gave an insightful presentation on dyslexia and I knew I wanted to learn more from her. Thanks for joining in on my conversation with Becki Laurent.
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