Children Who Play the Piano Excel in School

Parents are constantly presented with ideas to help their kids get better grades, and it may come as a huge relief to know there is one idea that will improve their scholastic performance and offers numerous other benefits. Learning an instrument is a fun, effective way to enhance their education, but that is only one of many ways the world of music can help your child.

Test Scores

Memory is the foundation of learning, especially in school where students have to study so they can repeat information for tests or essays. The human brain is able to store incredible amounts of information, then retrieve it, so it certainly helps when your brain is able to process and store as much as possible. 

Similar to a muscle, the brain needs to be used often to function properly or to perform at its top levels, yet without “workouts”, it will atrophy, causing loss of memory and other problems, such as confusion, slower than normal thought processes, and inability to understand new information.

Playing music helps because it engages both sides of the brain, so the child is learning how to process more information efficiently, store more of it, and of course, remember it when tested. A piano player is required to play separate parts with their hands, (the left is playing one thing while the right is playing another), together as a complete movement in order to perform the piece.

Repetition allows them to become adept at focusing on one thing as they plan to play the next part, which is how the brain becomes stronger, retaining even more to reach its full potential for memory.

When children have to prepare for school, they need to focus on multiple areas of the topic, so playing the piano gives them a distinct advantage as they can process all of it faster and better.

Social Benefits

Research shows higher test scores for children who learn an instrument, however, it also teaches them coordination, motor skills, and it boosts their confidence with a sense of accomplishment. These attributes help them to be more comfortable in new or unfamiliar situations and to feel more secure, which is important when interacting with friends, so the piano has healthy social benefits for them at school.

Please keep these benefits in mind for your child, and if they ask you if they can play an instrument, reply with an enthusiastic “yes!”