We all know that practicing math regularly can lead to better performance in school. But did you know that listening to music can also have an impact on math scores? According to a recent study, students who take music classes in sync with higher math scores.
The study, conducted by the University of Colorado at Boulder, looked at data from more than 4,000 schools across the United States. They found that at schools where 40 percent or more of the student body came from low-income families, there was no significant relationship between music education and math scores. However, at schools where less than 40 percent of the students came from low-income families, there was a positive correlation between music education and math scores.
So what does this mean? It means that music education may have a bigger impact on math scores for students who come from affluent families. One possible explanation is that affluent students tend to have more access to quality music education than their low-income counterparts. Another possibility is that affluent students are simply more likely to excel in both music and math.
Whatever the reason, the study provides yet another reason why music education is so important. If you have the opportunity to take music classes, be sure to take advantage of it – your math scores may thank you for it!
According to a new study, music classes may help improve math scores – but only at higher-income schools.
The study, conducted by the Institute for Education Policy at the University of Maryland, looked at data from over 600 schools across the United States. They found that while music classes were associated with higher math scores at schools with higher incomes, there was no such link at lower-income schools.
lead researcher Charles Payne said in a statement. “This may be due to the fact that lower-income schools often have less experienced teachers, less resources, and larger class sizes. These factors can make it difficult to implement music instruction in a way that is effective.”
The researchers say that their findings highlight the need for increased funding for arts education in low-income schools.
“If we want all students to have the opportunity to benefit from music instruction, we need to ensure that arts education is adequately funded in all schools,” Payne said.
