While most of us experience and enjoy music as a source of entertainment, it also wields immense power when it comes to learning and memory. Research in neuroscience continues to reveal that music 'lights up' the brain in novel ways, making music a highly effective learning tool. Information put to music is processed differently and more robustly than purely verbal or visual information.
When used as a learning tool, music seems to work like magic...making it easier to remember and retain information (as compared to more traditional learning methods). That's because music activates brain regions that are critical for sustained and successful learning, and has synergistic effects on learning:
Memory: Information put to music is easier to remember (than the same information on its own). How'd you learn your ABCs, states and capitals, the periodic table? Not only does music have amazing mnemonic effects, but music-based information can be remembered for life!
Emotion: Music evokes emotion--just hearing a song you love can make you feel good! When students associate positive emotions with learning, this drives engagement and motivation to learn.
Attention: Music directly activates brain regions that control attention, which is a KEY to learning. If you're not paying attention, it's nearly impossible to learn. WIth digital natives, for whom sustained attention can be a challenge, music is a highly effective way of drawing learners in and keeping them engaged.
Motivation: Music releases neurochemicals that make us feel good. This motivates us to listen to music repeatedly. Repetition is another key tenet of sustained learning. Accordingly, when learning takes place using music, students are intrinsically motivated to repeatedly engage with the material.
"In learning theory and science...the more brain regions in parallel you can use to process and encode information, the stronger your chances of retaining and recalling that information."
FUN FACT: Rhythmic and melodic patterns can help students remember all types of information, including math!
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