Time in the Arts and Physical Education and School Achievement by Jesse L

Rebecca Lofton

EDUC 517

11/03/09

“The relationship between musical ability and literacy skills” by Sheila Douglas and Peter Willatts, Journal of Research in Reading; (1994), 17(2), 99-107

It is widely believed that music learning, music reading and music participation enhances academic achievement, especially in reading and math. Parents, teachers and administrators constantly bemoan the loss of their beloved music classes and fear for the well rounded education of their children. Consequently, many education researchers continue with their attempts to define the relationship between academic achievement and music education, and to identify the connections that have the most impact. Sheila Douglas and Peter Willatts have contributed to this field of study by examining how children in a structured program of musical activities fared on standardized reading and spelling tests as compared to those who were not given the benefit of a structured music program.

Before the authors begana discussion of their research, they introduced us to some of the major contributions in the field of musical ability and literacy that led to the development of their particular study. Of special interest to me was the discussion of P.E. Bryant’s study of ‘phonological awareness’, or children’s awareness of speech sounds and the role that it appears to play in learning to read. In the early 1980s, many researchers began looking at the relationship between phonemic awareness and the development of reading skills; that, in turn, led to more detailed studies of how children process sound and then use those skills as they learn to read (Douglas & Willatts, 102).

They also discuss research that shows a relationship between learning disabilities and music instruction. Interestingly, T.R. Miles and E. Miles found that students who are dyslexic also have difficulty remembering melodies or rhythms. And according to A.S. Wisbey’s study of hearing impaired children, “many intelligent children fail to become literate because of undetected hearing problems during childhood” (Douglas & Willatts, 102). Finally, the research that I found most compelling was a study using nursery rhymes, led by M. MacLean. The study suggests that an early involvement in music instruction can prove beneficial in preventing literacy problems(Douglas & Willatts, 102).

With the permission of the Fife school district, Ms. Douglas and Mr. Willatts conducted a very interesting six-month study on the effects of a musical program on students’ auditory, visual and motor skills. They identified a sample of 78 students for the test group consisting of 40 girls and 38 boys with a mean age of 8 years. They drew their sample from two public elementary schools which were located in the same area of a large town and attracted students from a wide variety of social backgrounds (Douglas & Willatts, 103). To determine a baseline for reading and spelling ability, the students were given a standardized reading test.

Once they established a baseline, students in the test group participated in a specially designed music program that made use of ‘games’ that incorporated rhythm and pitch activities. Interestingly, that also made frequent changes in the emphasis of the program,moving from auditory to visual processes and sometime, a combination of both. The program allowed for constant adaptation of new ideas to maintain the students’ interest (Douglas & Willatts, 106).

Conversely, the students in the control group were engaged in non-musical activities designed to develop discussion skills; the emphasis was on interactive work groups that were intended to stimulate descriptive, imaginative and comparative discussion. They were also given opportunities to voice their opinions about the content of their lessons; as with the test group, care was taken to adapt ideas to maintain students’ interest (Douglas & Willatts, 106).

At the end of the six months test period, students were again given standardized reading tests. While the scores for the two groups on the initial test were not significantly different, they were on the final test. While the students in the control group made minimal gains, the students in the test group scored about five points higher on the reading scale than on their first test. The authors don’t presume to make the claim that music education is completely responsible for the gains; rather, Douglas and Willatts conclude that,given the prior research and the findings of their study, there is clearly a link between musical ability and reading ability (Douglas and Willatts, 106).

I found the research and results compelling evidence for the conclusion presented by the authors. And when taken with the body of work that precedes their study, it serves to add weight to the argument in favor of music education. As with all of the studies I have read, however, this one is limited to elementary school children. There is a void of research into the benefits of music education on teenaged students, which surprises me. I believe we should be focusing on the long range effects of music education and looking at the academic success of high-school students with and without benefit of a music education. While students may enjoy immediate success as shown in this particular study, how does music education transfer into sustained academic ability? That is the answer that I am looking for and will continue to search for as I continue my research.

References

Douglas, Sheila, Willatts, Peter. (1994). The relationship between musical ability and literacy skills. Journal of Research in Reading, 17(2), 99-107. www3.interscience.wiley.com.iii.sonoma.edu/cgi- bin/fulltext/119274970/PDFSTART

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9817.1994.tb00055.x