The Effects of Music on Education and Early Literacy: An Insight on Defining Literacy and the Use of Music in the Classroom

Abstract

The purpose of this essay is to examine the effects that music has on education and literacy, and to provide insight on how to go about using music in a classroom. First, the essay will define the word ‘literacy,’ and prove why this is important, and then describe how literacy is taught in a classroom using phonics. Then, it will take a look at how music affects the student brain, and how those effects are linked directly to the way students process reading, writing, and communication. Finally, this essay will look at the direct effects that music has on education and literacy, and how both music instruction and music integrated into a lesson correlate positively with student academic success. It will also take a moment to provide examples of how music can be effectively implemented in a traditional classroom setting. To conclude, the essay considers how this study affects other aspects of education such as the idea of extra-curricular activities, standardized testing, and students with disabilities.