Researchers have discovered that when babies are exposed to music they become better at processing speech.
Studies at the University of Washington have shown that children who participated in play sessions that included music, versus children who did not have music in play sessions, had stronger neural responses.
Babies who hear a rhythmic pattern in music are better at detecting and predicting rhythmic patterns in speech. So what does this mean? It means that early, engaging musical experiences can have a global effect on cognitive skills.
By observing brain activity measurements, researchers were able to measure the brain patterns of babies who had been exposed to music during play sessions and those who had not. The babies who had participated in music based play groups showed stronger brain reactions to disruptions in speech and music patterns.
Further research is suggested to determine if music education through school years helps to boost academic and cognitive skills.
July 25, 2016