Music Improves Verbal Memory

Increased verbal memory is also another positive implication of music on the young children. According to Presley (2015) the verbal memory of the children influences their ability to read printed words. Reading normally progresses from words to texts and to sentences of greater length. Verbal memory is mandatory for a child to preserve the material to be read in memory so as to perform the semantic and syntactic analysis necessary in comprehension. It is observed that verbal memory is vital for all the children that are learning to read. Since poor performance in reading have been constantly associated with poor verbal memory, it is essential that the young children have a strong verbal memory for them to read easily.

The study participants did not just mentioned that music has a positive influence on the verbal memory of the children; however, they also reported how the positive influence is brought about. The study participants reported that music training of the children enhances their verbal learning and retention abilities. It is reported that the longer the period of training on music, the higher the level of verbal memory that the children can develop. From another perspective, the study participants indicated that playing of music instruments enhances the brain development of the child as well as the ability of the brain to remember things. The children who have constant training in playing different kinds of musical instruments have a better verbal memory than those who have not taken part in any form of training. As such, children with extensive training in music and have been engaged in playing of the musical instruments have a higher possibility or remembering words that are communicated verbally as opposed to children who are not involved in any form of music training.

Music assists in building listening skills

Listening is the first mode of language that the young children acquire. Listening therefore provides a foundation for development of reading as well as acquisition of different forms of language. According to Korat and Shamir (2012) learning to have a perfect listening skill is a prerequisite to listening to learn different literacy in English. Listening is an important aspect of learning since, the children spent most of their time listening to the teachers for them to learn new ideas in whatever is being taught.

It is observed that the children are exposed to listening activities on several occasions within their classrooms, however, the teaching of the listening skills have not been pervasive within most of the pre-schools. The study participants reported that majority of the teachers of the young children make an assumption that listening is a natural skill that can be developed automatically by the children. As such, they are not required to put more emphasis in teaching of the listening skills. The findings of the study however, indicate that this assumption ought not to be made. Musical activities have been cited by the study participants as the approach that can be adopted by the pre-school teachers to teach listening skills. According to both the parents and the practitioners that were involved in the study, the training in music improves the development and functioning of brain that is linked to listening. It is reported that the children who had received training in music had increased cognitive processing of information and showed a greater level of relaxation. As such, engaging the young children in music and music training will improve their brain functioning that equally have positive implications on their listening skills.

Music training and engaging the young children in the playing of music instruments is important in improving their listening skills. According to Gillen and Hall (2013) as the children listens to the rhythms of the music being played, they tend to develop some form of attentiveness that is necessary when building effective listening skills. Moreover, since the music is likely to attract the attention of the children, they are likely to increase their concentration span by continuously listening to the music that is being played (Dalagna, Lã & Welch, 2013). Listening to music or playing the music instruments is therefore desirable in ensuring that the young children improve in their listening skills