An article on Music and dementia. Not strictly about children, but it highlights the latest research into the affect Music has on the brain
https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/clearing-the-fog-of-dementia-with-song“
When we sing, we’re stimulating our auditory system, we’re stimulating our physical system,” “When we use language in song, it’s tapping into our emotions and it’s tapping into physiological processes like our heart rate and our breathing”
I heard Sally Goddard Blythe speak at a conference last year. She concluded that without learning through music and movement in the early years, learning to read and write later will be an up hill task.
http://sallygoddardblythe.co.uk/publications/
The Well-Balanced Child is a passionate manifesto for the importance of movement in early years’ education.
Concern about the increasingly sedentary lifestyle of young children is reaching unprecedented levels. Around a third of British children are overweight, reflecting the decline of traditional outdoor pursuits in favour of electronic games and television. A raft of studies shows that the early years are a crucial window of opportunity, during which the brain is primed for learning through exercising the body and the senses. Yet children of today have less movement opportunities in their daily lives than any previous generation.
Sally Goddard Blythe, a leading expert in neuro-physiological development, argues for a ‘whole body’ approach to learning, which integrates the brain, senses, movement, music and play. Using case studies and the latest research, she demonstrates:
Why movement matters
How music helps brain development
The role of nutrition, the brain and child growth
Practical tips for parents and educators to help children with learning and behavioural problems
A reflections and research into the Music Education El Sistema Style. Imported to the UK and many other countries from Venezuela. A number of projects have been running in England and Scotland in socially deprived areas with reportedly great success in improving general education standards, as well as developing musicians.
Click to access Big_Noise_Torry_Evaluation_Report_FINAL3.pdf
SMCEPS MUSIC UNLIMITED 