Children Do Much Better in Math When Music is Added to the Lesson: New Study

A recent study examined the impact of music engagement on student achievement in mathematics, and the findings revealed a significant benefit.

Researchers believe that incorporating music into math education can enhance enjoyment, engagement, and reduce anxiety related to topics like fractions. Music can even inspire students to develop an appreciation for math and a desire to learn more.

A common approach to integrating music into math lessons for young children involves rhythmic clapping, using songs to learn numbers, and connecting fractions to musical notes.

This new meta-analysis, published in the journal Educational Studies, analyzed 55 studies conducted worldwide, involving nearly 78.000 students ranging from kindergarten to university level.

Three types of musical interventions were considered: standard music lessons encompassing singing, listening, and learning about composing music; instrumental instruction, either solo or as part of a band; and integrated interventions where music was incorporated into math lessons.

Students underwent math assessments before and after participating in the interventions, and their score changes were compared to those who did not receive any intervention.

The use of music, whether in separate lessons or as part of math classes, showed greater improvement in math performance over time.

Combining both music and math in integrated lessons had the most substantial impact, with approximately 73 percent of students who had integrated lessons achieving significantly better results compared to those without any musical intervention.

Mathematics and music share common elements such as symbols and symmetry. Both subjects require abstract thinking and quantitative reasoning.