Music instruction appears to accelerate brain development in children, particularly in the areas of the brain responsible for processing sound, language development, speech perception (感知) and reading skills, according to early results of a five-year study.
The Brain and Creativity Institute (BCI) began the study to know the influence of music instruction on children’s brain development. These early study results prove the necessity of music education at a time when many schools have reduced music and arts programs.
“We are broadly interested in the influence of music training on brain development of children,” said Assal Habibi, the study’s lead author and a senior research associate at the BCI. “These results reflect that children with music training, compared with the two other comparison groups, were more accurate in processing sound.”
For this study, the scientists were monitoring brain development and behavior in a group of 37 children from neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Thirteen of the children, at 6 or 7 years old, began to be instructed to learn music through the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles program. The children learned to play instruments, such as the violin, in groups, and they practiced up to seven hours a week. The scientists were comparing the potential musicians with children of the same age in the next two groups: 11 children in a soccer program, and 13 children who hardly took part in any specific after-school programs. The scientists were using several tools to monitor changes in them as they grew.
Within years of the study, the scientists found the auditory(听觉的) systems of children in the music program were developing faster in them than in the other children. The slight adjustment of their auditory pathway could accelerate their development of language and reading, as well as other abilities—a potential influence which the scientists are continuing to study.
32. How do the early study results help with school education?
A.They raise students’ interest in music and arts programs. |
B.They encourage many schools to increase language programs. |
C.They provide the evidence of the benefits of music education. |
D.They offer specific approaches to conducting music training. |
33. What can we know about the first group of children in the study?
A.They played soccer after school. | B.They received music instruction. |
C.They played the violin separately. | D.They organized after-school programs. |
34. What will the scientists go on exploring?
A.The potential ways to help children speak fluently. |
B.How children develop their abilities in every aspect. |
C.When children should join much more music programs. |
D.The effect of music training on children’s development. |
35. What is the main idea of the text?
A.Children’s brain develops faster with music training. |
B.Children learn language easily after listening to music. |
C.A science study on children’s brain turns out successful. |
D.Music training can help children to hear others clearly. |