How Music can improve literacy and numeracy?

Research has shown that Music can have a profound impact on the human brain and enhance literacy and numeracy skills. At Lauries, there are over 1,500 students involved in Music as a Co-Curricular endeavour and all students are required to have Music as a curriculum subject in the Primary School. Students are subconsciously developing their literacy and numeracy skills - meaning that they are learning while having fun and making music!

Music and language are closely linked, sharing common elements. Engaging with music can aid in students’ phonological awareness, a precious tool when learning to read and write. Learning songs and rhymes requires memorisation which, in turn, strengthens memory retention and recall abilities. These abilities have a direct correlation to literacy and numeracy development – they are able to remember spelling rules (i before e, except after c etc), mathematical formulae or general facts. Music can provide a fun way of learning for students, without them even knowing it!

At the heart of Music is Mathematics - patterns, repetition, scales, intervals. The brain is programmed to recognise and predict outcomes and as you may have guessed, this is a skill that translates to numeracy and understanding mathematical concepts like sequences, patterns and algorithms while simultaneously aiding in problem-solving and critical thinking. Another example is seen in the use of beats and notes which further reinforce the concepts of fractions and division. 

Lastly, focus and attention! Music requires concentration, focus, sustained attention, discipline and self-regulation which are all transferable skills vital for literacy, numeracy and academic success. By enhancing cognitive skills like attention and focus, Music primes students for learning across various subjects.