Early Childhood Music

Out of the mouth of babes and unweaned infants...

Valley Fellowship Christian Academy

3616 Holmes Avenue, Huntsville AL 35816

Piano-Based Academic Study

In the spring of 2006, Ms. Patti Simon of Valley Fellowship Christian Academy in Huntsville did her own piano-based music research study using the children in that private school. Based on her findings VFCA established piano lessons as part of every child’s curriculum from K3-6th grade beginning August 2006. Here is a look at her results.

She compared grades from fourth grade children who were taking piano lesson vs. those who were not.

A standard deviation comparison was used. One standard deviation point encompasses 66% of the population. Two standard deviation points encompasses 99% of the population. That makes these scores off the chart. Amazing!

2nd grade at the end of the first year

After the first year of piano lessons (2nd grade) students taking piano lessons scored:

· 2.6 higher in Math

· 1.9 points higher in Reading.

· An academic grade was not given in 2nd grade so no comparison was given.

3rd grade at the end of the second year

At the end of the second year (3rd grade): students taking piano lessons scored:

10.6 higher in Math

5.5 points higher in Reading

4.6 points higher in Science

4th grade at the end of the first semester

At the end of the semester in the third year (4th grade) those taking piano lessons scored:

· 7.7 points higher in Math

· 4.3 points higher in Reading

· 4.7 points higher in Science

SAT Scores at the end of the first year…

See graph below...

· 25.5 points higher in Math

· 4.2 points higher in Reading

· 6.4 points higher in Science

SAT Scores at the end of the second year…

See graph below...

· 30.4 points higher in Math

· 7.8 points higher in Reading

· 19.1 points higher in Science

As you can see, piano-based music makes a tremendous difference academically for any age person. Based on these findings with school-aged children, you can imagine the value of early, while your child’s brain is forming… during the “formative years” from conception to age five.