The Science Behind All The Fun It’s easy to get caught up in the fun singing along as your child plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or Pop! Goes the Weasel. But each time I hear about a child’s success, I’m also reminded of the science behind all the fun. After all, I developed Piano for Preschoolers because my own children showed an interest in learning to play the piano at the age when all the research showed they would benefit the most.

Numerous studies indicate that learning to play the piano as a preschooler sets a child up for later academic success. The research clearly shows that preschoolers who are exposed to early piano/keyboard lessons have an advantage in school. The trick is to find a method that is engaging and fun enough to motivate young children to learn, but teaches them to read and play real music.

There are certain periods of time, known as windows of opportunity, in a child’s brain development when it is especially open to certain kinds of learning. As children discover the joys of piano, brain cells (neurons) are connecting to form the types of complex thought pattern necessary to excel in math and science. But, from about age 5, neurons not connected into the brain’s overall wiring begin fading away – and so does the opportunity for intelligence in that area of the brain.

Because neural connections are responsible for all types of intelligence, a child’s brain develops to its full potential only with exposure to the necessary enriching experiences in early childhood. Dr. Frances Rauscher of the University of Wisconsin and Dr. Gordon Shaw of the University of California have studied the connection between musical and nonmusical training on preschoolers’ intellectual development for many years. Their studies indicate that music training generates the neural connections used for abstract reasoning, including those necessary for understanding mathematical concepts.

In one study, Dr. Rauscher and Dr. Shaw compared the effects of musical and nonmusical training on preschoolers’ intellectual developments. They found that preschoolers who received piano or keyboard training performed 34% higher on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability than did other preschoolers. Those who received piano or keyboard training could think in pictures and see the pictures moving or changing shape over time – a crucial skill for later success in mathematics, science and engineering.

Researchers at the University of California observed two separate groups of preschoolers. Group one took piano lessons and sang daily in a chorus. Group two did neither. After a period of eight months the musical three-year-olds in group one were expert puzzle masters scoring 80% higher than their playmates in spatial intelligence.

A research team exploring the link between music and intelligence reported that music training is far superior to computer instruction in enhancing children’s abstract reasoning skills. Music training jump-starts certain inherent patterns in parts of the brain responsible for such reasoning. Computer lessons do not force children to think ahead or visualize, as they must when playing a piece of music.

The world’s top academic countries place a high value on music education. Hungary, Netherlands and Japan stand atop worldwide science achievement and have a strong commitment to music education. Building upon the pioneering work of Dr. Rauscher and Dr. Shaw, a recent study at the University of Munster in Germany revealed that practicing the piano in early childhood expands the mind, literally altering the anatomy of the brain.

Children who begin piano/keyboard instruction as a preschooler are developing their natural musicality and a love of music that can last a lifetime. Research clearly shows the benefits of early piano/keyboard instruction. The times spent with a caring parent or grandparent singing along as they play are an added bonus.