A well-rounded education requires us to tap into various parts of a child’s brain in order to challenge, stretch and extend. While at Living Faith we quite rightly focus very heavily on literacy and numeracy, it’s prudent that other subjects are valued for the way they assist with brain development.

An example of a subject that may be considered to be non-academic, but is essential in providing a well-rounded education is Music. Researchers have produced an ever-increasing list of studies exploring the benefits of music education.

On the surface, there are some quite obvious benefits to music education, which include refining time management and organisational skills, enhancing coordination, boosting perseverance, sharpening concentration and fostering self-expression. Music is a social subject; for some students it is their ‘team sport’ as they grow in communication with each other and communication with an audience. Going deeper, research indicates that music connects students through a further variety of neural systems. It accelerates the areas of the brain responsible for processing sound, language development, speech perception and reading skills. Music increases memory capacity and improves mathematical ability.

Find out more at:

• How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain;
• What Happens to Your Brain When You Perform; and
• What if Every Child had Access to Music Education from Birth.

- Jane Mueller