My Understanding of Education Through Music Mariah Burt

Mission Statement To foster the well being and development of children and their caregivers, through the study of song and play, promoting this central value in communities everywhere.” To foster the well being and development of children and their caregivers, through the study of song and play, promoting this central value in communities everywhere.” -Richards Institute

Education Through Music (ETM) A language based program in which song, movement and interactive play promote emotional, social, cognitive, and musical development.

What is ETM? ETM is the study of artful teaching and the process of learning. Based on English language songs, it is designed to promote the study of sound and the acquisition of language. Together with movement, these build the imagaic system and symbolization process, thereby laying the foundation for the building of intelligence.

History Rooted in Zoltan Kodaly’s education philosophy Rooted in Zoltan Kodaly’s education philosophy Developed by Mary Helen Richards Developed by Mary Helen Richards Richards Institute of Education and Research Richards Institute of Education and Research

Benefits Develops focus and attentiveness while reducing distractibility and impulsivity Develops focus and attentiveness while reducing distractibility and impulsivity Enhances working memory, strategizing language structures and auditory processing. Enhances working memory, strategizing language structures and auditory processing. Increases both spatial awareness and sequential thinking. Increases both spatial awareness and sequential thinking. Promotes complex, symbolization abilities- increasing meaning, understanding, and literacy. Promotes complex, symbolization abilities- increasing meaning, understanding, and literacy.

Who and Where? Classroom, music, special education, pre- school and middle school teachers Classroom, music, special education, pre- school and middle school teachers Speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, physicians, clinical psychologists and researchers Speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, physicians, clinical psychologists and researchers Parents, grandparents and daycare providers Parents, grandparents and daycare providers

What Does it Look Like Any setting or environment Any setting or environment Any age group Any age group Any size group, large or small Any size group, large or small Open space Open space Circles or tight clumps Circles or tight clumps

Science How the Brain Works How the Brain Works 2 Sides of the Brain 2 Sides of the Brain How ETM stabilizes children How ETM stabilizes children

How the Brain Works Dynamic Brain Expressive Expressive Receptive Receptive Plans and chooses Plans and chooses Playfully competitive Playfully competitive Stores and remembers pattern Stores and remembers pattern Heart open Heart open Open to learning Open to learning Right and left side work together Right and left side work together Brain Under Stress Unexpressive Unexpressive Unreceptive Unreceptive Aggressively competitive Aggressively competitive Fright/Flight/Freeze Fright/Flight/Freeze Afraid (“Not getting it”) Afraid (“Not getting it”) Heart closed Heart closed Uncooperative Uncooperative Shuts down under stress Shuts down under stress Right and left side do not work together under stress Right and left side do not work together under stress

Procedural vs. Declarative Knowledge Procedural Problem solving Problem solving Thought process Thought process Requires bi- hemispheric functioning Requires bi- hemispheric functioningDeclarative Lists of facts Lists of facts Times tables Spelling words Does not require bi- hemispheric functioning *Children who live a a world of solely declarative knowledge struggle to unfold their entire knowledge. Example: 3 rd grader who can memorize times tables, but cannot process A problem and sort out how it functions its procedures.

Fundamentals of ETM Structure Structure Literacy Literacy Leader and Follower Leader and Follower Intelligence built through play Intelligence built through play Movement and memory Movement and memory

Study 3 Control Classes and 3 Experimental Classes 3 Control Classes and 3 Experimental Classes Testing in three areas: Testing in three areas: Auditory Discrimination Test Auditory Discrimination Test Visual Motor Integration Test Visual Motor Integration Test First Grade Screening Test First Grade Screening Test Urban Midwestern community Urban Midwestern community Half Day class Half Day class Traditional Curriculum Traditional Curriculum Three twenty minutes music sessions per week Three twenty minutes music sessions per week Different music curriculum Different music curriculum Control: sang songs and listened to records Control: sang songs and listened to records Experimental: ETM Experimental: ETM

Auditory Discrimination Test Auditory Discrimination Test ETM boosted Experimental Class scores by 27% ETM boosted Experimental Class scores by 27% Non-ETM control class improved 0% Non-ETM control class improved 0% First Grade Screen Test First Grade Screen Test Experimental class prepared 94% Experimental class prepared 94% Control Class prepared 76% Control Class prepared 76% Visual Motor Integration Test Visual Motor Integration Test Equal Improvement in experimental and control classes Equal Improvement in experimental and control classes Number and percentage of students Judged to Possess Adequate Development Based on the Auditory Discrimination Test PretestPosttest% ClassNo.%No.% Point Change Control Classes 2144%2144%0% ExperimentClasses3356%4983%27%

Why ETM? Have more energy and the end of your day than when you started Have more energy and the end of your day than when you started Enter the state of “play”- the state for optimal learning Enter the state of “play”- the state for optimal learning Guides the stabilization of children Guides the stabilization of children Build strong secure adult-child relationships Build strong secure adult-child relationships

Children unfold according to the character and likeness of their models.” -Joseph Chilton Pearce

Resources Richards Institute of Education and Research Richards Institute of Education and Research Richardsinstitute.org Richardsinstitute.org Optimal Brain Organization, © 2004 by Paul Dennison and Gail E. Dennison Optimal Brain Organization, © 2004 by Paul Dennison and Gail E. Dennison