Classical Training

Music eases cognitive load. Without going into the complexities of alpha, beta, theta and delta brain waves, be assured that using music in the classroom is a good idea.

By the way, I’m not making up this stuff. I’ve studied brains for years through reading and attending seminars related to brains and learning. John Joseph presented one workshop that particularly resonated. He is an Australian educator who has picked up the nickname The Brain Man.

Check out his website:

focuseducation.com.au

Music has a profound effect on learning. Several years ago, I was the team leader for a Year 3 and Year 4 group (children 8-10 years old). We needed to lift literacy levels in our school. We found disengagement was a barrier. Disengagement took many forms, from daydreaming, active disruption of lessons and generally poor retention of learning.

We researched the effects of playing music in the classroom. I had already discovered children became more engaged through singing.

We landed on several classical music pieces played in the background through the whiteboard speakers in our rooms.

As days passed, the music became an integral part of each day. No one noticed it was playing. They noticed when it wasn’t.

General classroom disruptions fell. Instances of off-task behaviour fell. Retention of learning improved.

As a team, we compiled different playlists for activating other brain waves, which, in turn, influenced learning. In particular, children engaged better with quiet research activities when the music was playing. This contrasted with off-task disruption when the music was absent. We most likely didn’t have enough of a cohort to be statistically relevant, but we were pleased our efforts were rewarded.