Do you remember how you first learned the alphabet? I am quite sure that the majority of us learnt it by singing the ABC Song: 'ABCDEFG-HIJKLMNOP-QRS-TUV-WXY-and-Z...'
There is no doubt that music and songs are one of the best means to teach children new information and knowledge. And over the last 25 years, many researches and studies have been done to find out how music influences our brain and how we can use music to help us learn faster and more effectively. And it has been found that our brain is most open and receptive to incoming information when it is in a special state of relaxation.
That type of relaxation is not to get you into sleep. It's a state of relaxed alertness - what we sometimes call relaxed awareness. For those who learn relaxation techniques such as Yoga, you know it is the state when our brain is at Alpha.
The study of super-memory and the brain started back in the 1950's by a Bulgarian psychiatrist and educator, George Lozanov. After years of research, he concluded that we all have an 'optimum learning state'. This occurs, he said "when heart-beat, breath-rate and brain-waves are smoothly synchronized and the body is relaxed but the mind concentrated and ready to receive new information."
Lozanov put his research into practice and achieved some amazing results, particularly in foreign-language learning. It was reported that Lozanov had helped Bulgarian students learn 1,200 words in a day, using his method.
Today we know that it is fairly easy for people to achieve that ideal learning state. Deep breathing is one of the first keys. Music is the second.
Music played at different beats and tempos influences our moods differently, and in turn it affects how our mind functions (which determines our actions).
Have you ever noticed how departmental stores use music to sway the mood of their customers within their premise and to regulate the flow of human traffic? During off-peak period, they will play soothing music to help shoppers relax so that they will stay longer in the stores and as a result buy more things. During peak hours when the stores are crowded and they need to get the human traffic to move faster so that more people can come in to the stores, they will play fast and loud music.
Likewise, we can use music to our advantage by helping our children in their learning and enhancing their concentration.
If you would like to put your child in the best state of mind when doing something or learning new skills and knowledge, you can try playing soothing music with a 50 to 70 beats per minute pattern.
The most common music to achieve that state comes from the baroque school of composers, in the 17th and early 18th centuries: the Italian Arcangelo Corelli, the Venician Antonio Vivaldi, the French Francois Coupertin and the Germans, Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel.
Some of our favourite music pieces that my wife and I play at home for our children, Ethel and Ethan, when they are at play and learn:
- Vivaldi's Four Seasons - one of the best-known pieces of baroque music that helps you to shut out other thoughts and visualise the seasons of the year
- Handel's Water Music - a deeply soothing piece
- Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D - our favourite to relieve tension
If you have yet to introduce music when educating your child, start using it today; it will put your child in a relaxed, receptive state, helping her focus and learn more effectively.
Article by Alvin Poh, founder of Learning Champ, a parenting wesbite that provides information and resources to parents, who want to help their children develop the important skills and mind set for a brighter future -> http://www.alvinkh.per.sg/learningchamp
tidy up service Northbrook ..The Greatest Gifts in Life, which are always created for... Read More
Many families do not want to believe their child is... Read More
Do you struggle to get your child to bed at... Read More
College is one of the largest expenses through the course... Read More
Before going further into choosing computers for children, I believe... Read More
Early childhood educators have called play "children's work". Many parents... Read More
You have a chore to do around the house, and... Read More
We all wish that our children should not smoke or... Read More
Most of us can agree that there is a lack... Read More
A fun way to build your child's imaginationWriting is still... Read More
Bedtime and children's sleep habits can cause nightmares - for... Read More
You are at the grocery store with your daughter and... Read More
For many adults, reading a book or newspaper seems effortless.... Read More
Teachers know that children thrive in an environment with routines,... Read More
From the time the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock in... Read More
Researching career education uncovered the following shocking statistic: The average... Read More
Boredom, limited space and overflowing energy are a source of... Read More
Like anything else in life, there's a method to the... Read More
As Mother's Day approaches I would like to give a... Read More
The learning and development of Australian kids is under threat... Read More
Many parents would like to homeschool their children but are... Read More
When is a person brilliant? When does a person show... Read More
As mothers, we play so many different roles and most... Read More
? Let the child choose his or her own lunch... Read More
We are all aware of the child obesity epidemic that... Read More
reliable home cleaners Buffalo Grove ..Q. Things have been relatively calm and OK with our... Read More
We adopted our first child when he was three months... Read More
Although many children are picky eaters at some stage in... Read More
One fantastic way to get your children involved in what... Read More
10 Fun Things You Can Do With Your Children this... Read More
Having a baby is one of the most exciting times... Read More
Is your baby approaching his or her first birthday and... Read More
'And all because of a damned cat! It's only a... Read More
Boredom, limited space and overflowing energy are a source of... Read More
You know that children can get into trouble. The older... Read More
Who lives in your house? Are they driving you "crazy?"... Read More
Congratulations on your new baby! You have just brought your... Read More
Bedtime and children's sleep habits can cause nightmares - for... Read More
Reading is the most important skill that a child must... Read More
Depending on where you live school will be starting this... Read More
Here's the scene of communication with your child: your three-year-old... Read More
I really like all natural remedy for Attention Deficit Disorder... Read More
Many people consider plush toys great for children. They say... Read More
Our back-to-school buying habits do not help kids succeed in... Read More
Studies have shown that:1 out of 4 children were sent... Read More
Predicament:My son is 4 1/2 years old. His younger brother... Read More
Having worked with parents for the last 35 years and... Read More
My thirteen-year-old daughter recently called me up to say she... Read More
Last night Tom's daughter, Sue, came out of her room... Read More
This is the third and final article in a series... Read More
Parenting |