Blogs: News and Features
Music-based Training Improves Preschoolers’ IQ
Oct
5
A York University study released October 4, 2011, found music-based cognitive training offers dramatic benefits for young children, including improved verbal intelligence.
Conducted at The Royal Conservatory and York University and led by artist-educators from The Conservatory’s Learning Through the Arts program, the study looked at children between the ages of four to six, concluding that 90% of those studied showed significant gains in verbal intelligence after only 20 days of training on interactive, music-based cognitive training cartoons. The results were confirmed by brain imaging indicating neurological changes had taken place following the exercises.
“These results are dramatic...because they clearly connect cognitive improvement to musical training,” said Dr. Bialystok, Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology at York University and Associate Scientist at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute.
The study was carried out by Dr. Sylvain Moreno, a world expert on neuroeducation who is now the Lead Scientist at Baycrest’s Centre for Brain Fitness.
The full study is available online at Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
To view one of the cartoons used in the study, click here.
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Synopsis
A York University study involving artist-educators from The Royal Conservatory's Learning Through the Arts program found that music-based training improved preschoolers' verbal IQ.
