Using Music To Improve Learning

By Deshon C. Smith, M.S.

Clinician at Strategies for Learning

Introduction to Current Practices

There are several advantages to using music in a learning environment whether it’s being delivered remotely or in a live environment. Cognitive exercises for the brain allow children to uncover patterns from sound or rhythm, bridging the gap between short-term memory and long term memory. A simple example is the English Alphabet. The first 7 letters are sung, followed by 9, 3-count twice, then 2-count twice. Children have various learning styles and music can encourage students to tap into those major sensory pathways which are hearing, sight and speaking.

Music-Themed Technologies

Kahoot is an easy learning application where you can create trivia questions which display from a computer. Logging in just requires entering a code at https://kahoot.it/. For a free account you can create up to 5 questions and set time limits. Subscribed members can change the background music and themes. This is great for hosting a study group where kids can experience positive competition.

DuoLingo offers language immersion software. Users can put words in order of how they sound and vice versa. With multiple users the facilitator can lead dance breaks for every sentence pronounced. Part of learning language is identifying cultural themes. For example, a party theme would have words such as cake, music, gathering and balloons. When students are actively engaged with the vocabulary, a song in that language can be included. Advanced language students can watch foreign movies with subtitles followed by knowledge check questions.

The computer application compatible with Android and iPhone, Zenbeats works on virtually all PCs and digital tablets. This tool is great for students who have the creativity to prepare for exams with preprogrammed tones. Chapter notes relevant to a study guide or Chapter Summary can be drafted by the student. Questions from their notes can be asked in the form of a recording. Correct answers can result in a positive rhythm, while incorrect responses are dubbed as repeats.

The creation of music on the smartphone or laptop is advantageous by reducing eye strain and  multi-tasking.

Regulation of Emotions (Quick Activity)

Have your child set a reminder on their smartphone using a ringtone that will easily grab their attention. This ringtone is a unique way for starting a task that might otherwise be forgotten. Your child’s favorite songs can be downloaded from iTunes for iPhone and Google Music if using an Android. 

Studies have shown that students perform better on their homework and academics when they choose a controlled environment to study. Classical, jazz and soft rock are musical genres which tend to calm individuals who experience anxiety and stress levels. Every student is unique and so their music interests, common moods and sustained-attention abilities are factors to consider when implementing music into a child’s learning. Testing environments tend to be more competitive and undesirable, but students can master the content through independent study. Overcoming test anxiety by use of music can be further studied here. Everybody has a natural rhythm that starts from the heartbeat. Educators, parents and students themselves can apply music theory and technologies to improve how they learn.

Sources

6 Learning Apps your Smartphone Must Have

Music moves brain to pay attention, Stanford study finds

Doing Silly with Kids

By Phyllis Koppelman, BCET, Founder & CEO of Strategies for Learning

You’ve had plenty of what if’s to contend with these past few months and lots of question marks ahead.  Rather than focus on one more “should do,” here are some ideas if you’re stressed out, cranky and tired of having to tell your kids one more time to stop gaming or do their chores instead of ignoring you.

Being silly with your kids is contagious. The Mayo Clinic staff explains that smiling leads to laughing and starts a chain reaction that releases hormones in our brains. Smiling releases dopamine, which increases feelings of happiness.  Serotonin release from laughing can reduce stress. Long-term, we not only feel better, we also improve our immune system. And the best part is that laughter is contagious.

Now, let’s get to it…

Ages 3-7

  1. Have a popcorn toss. Make popcorn, add melted butter and salt and take turns aiming it at each other’s mouth.
  2. Make a funny face contest. No props needed
  3. Make funny hats. Use paper bags, newspaper, fabric scraps, recycled wrapping paper.
  4. Make mud pies using only your feet. Use a rolling pin can, pie tins and toppings. Variation:  Use play dough instead of mud.
  5. Invent a silly monster and draw or tell a story about your monster.  Our family silly monster is one-eyed Greenie who takes us on “wild adventures.”  
  6. Make silly edible food faces (for your monster or another silly face). Use pasta, fruit, veggies–how about broccoli for curly hair, mini-sweet peppers or strawberries for noses, blueberries or raisins for eyes?
  7. Invent a new sandwich, salad or dessert.

Ages 8-11

  1. Write and illustrate a story or book about your silly monster.
  2. Go on an outdoor (or indoor) scavenger hunt (ages 8-11) Adjustable:  Find a leaf with at least three different colors; a snail; lizard; unique bird; a flower with a bee or butterfly on it, a tree root shaped like a human foot.
  3.  Have an un-birthday party complete with balloons, treats, candles, party games with simple prizes (stuff that hides way back in a bottom drawer)
  4.  Have a cotton ball, cheerio or paperclip race across a table by blowing through paper straws.
  5.  Build an original fort or cabin (Include older or younger siblings)  Use packaging materials– cardboard boxes, popcorn, tissue. Have a sleepover in your structure.
  6.  Invent a silly trip to an imaginary place

All ages

  1.  Have a try-not-to-laugh contest.
  2.  Make up silly rap songs and sounds.
  3.  Create a mini-sculpture using toothpicks and marshmallows.
  4.  Create original “moves” to music.
  5.  Have a pillow fight or a squirt gun fight. 
  6.  Create a monster meal.  (all ages) No utensils allowed. Make (or have your kids help prepare)  a simple dinner like spaghetti with sauce and a side. No fair using serving utensils either.  (Hint: Use an old tablecloth under the table as a floor covering for easier cleanup.)
  7.  Create a carnival. Take turns doing “carnival” acts–rolls, tumbling, cartwheels, somersaults and more.
  8.  Have a Backwards Day. Wear one sock, or two different socks or shoes, backwards shirt, shorts, skirt or… Move backwards in  different ways, walk, run. Do chores and activities backwards. As pastry chef, Jacques Torres said, “Life is short.  Eat dessert first.”

The ABCs of Improved Summer Reading

The ABCs of Improved Summer Reading

Access to books. It’s critical that kids have access to a wide variety of books over the summer months, but we know that access alone doesn’t make a strong impact.

Books that match reader’s ability levels and interests. For young people’s reading skills to improve, they need to read books that align with their own reading levels. Reading books that are too easy or too hard won’t help!

Comprehension, as monitored and guided by an adult, teacher or parent. The most important piece to making summer reading effectively is the help of an adult who can ask questions and guide kids to better understand what they are reading.

 

A guide from the National Summer Association

Author: James Kim, assistant professor of education, Harvard University

Executive Function of the Brain: Key to Organizing, Managing Time and More

Article from American Psychiatric Association

Executive Function of the Brain: Key to Organizing, Managing Time and More

You may have heard the term executive function in regards to the brain, but what does it mean when a person has difficulties with executive function? Executive function is a set of mental processes that helps us get things done. It allows us to plan and organize and to link our past experiences to the present. Executive function is sometimes described as the CEO of the brain — in charge of making sure things get done.

Executive function helps people:

  • Manage time
  • Pay attention and switch focus
  • Plan and organize
  • Remember details
  • Do things based on experience

People with executive function problems may have difficulty planning or managing time, evaluating ideas, finishing work on time, or keeping track of multiple things at once. They may have trouble telling a story or relaying details in an organized way.

Larry Silver, M.D., writing in ADDitudeMag.com, provides some examples of executive function problems: a person with executive function problems might read a chapter, but not retain what he read; he might know the material, but be unable to write an answer or start a paper because he cannot organize his thoughts; or he might be able to calculate math equations, but make frequent careless errors.

People with ADHD, depression, learning disabilities, and autism often have difficulties with executive function. Alzheimer’s disease or brain damage (for example from concussion or stroke) can also affect executive function. Some research has found an association between OCD and problems with executive function.

People with no executive function impairment can experience temporary problems. For example, being overly stressed, sad, or sleep-deprived can hinder a person’s executive function ability.1

While there is no single test to identify executive function problems, psychologists can use a variety of tests and methods to assess difficulties with executive functioning and can make recommendations for how to address specific areas of weakness. Tests may look at specific skills, such as working memory, attention, ability to shift focus and ability to plan and organize. Problems often become apparent in children during early elementary years as children are expected to complete more schoolwork independently, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities.

There are some things that can be done to improve executive function, and strategies and approaches that can help to cope with executive difficulties.

Executive function can be improved at any age, including in the elderly, researcher Adele Diamond, Ph.D., professor of developmental cognitive neuroscience with the University of British Columbia notes in a recent review article. For example, improving physical fitness can improve executive function in the elderly. Research has found improvement in children’s executive function with computerized and interactive games, task-switching computerized training, and Taekwondo traditional martial arts.

Educational strategies and behavioral approaches for addressing executive function difficulties, suggested by the National Center for Learning Disabilities, include:

  • Take a step-by-step approach, break down long assignments into chunks
  • Use visual schedules and review them frequently
  • Create checklists and “to do” lists
  • Organize work space and minimize clutter
  • Schedule a weekly time to clean and organize
  • Meet with teacher/supervisor on a regular basis to review work and troubleshoot problems

 

Reference

  1. Diamond, A. Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology. 2013; 64:135-168. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4084861/

Resources

 

Source: “Executive Function of the Brain: Key to Organizing, Managing Time and More.” Executive Function of the Brain: Key to Organizing, Managing Time and More, American Psychiatric Association, 19 Jan. 2017, www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/apa-blog/2017/01/executive-function-of-the-brain-key-to-organizing-managing-time-and-more