Closing the Achievement Gap with Music Education

One of the most contentious issues currently facing the American educational system is howto close the achievement gap that currently exists between high income and low income students. According to a recent study, however, the answer might come from an unexpected place: music education.

In a key study carried out by professors at Northwestern University, it was found that students who had access to music education could develop the skills necessary to catch up to their higher income peers. Remarkably, music lessons were able to help these children gain the essential language and critical thinking skills necessary to succeed inside the classroom without losing ground to those from higher income backgrounds.

This study is crucial since music education in the digital age can be affordable and accessible to all types of children through online music lessons. By providing low income children with access to personalized music lessons online,their brain chemistry will go through physically observable changes that will provide them with numerous academic benefits.

Its worth noting that these neurological changes do not occur overnight and require a serious investment of approximately two years into the music education of each child. However, since online music lessons are budget-friendly and can be carried out anywhere there is an internet connection, millions of children can gain access to a quality music curriculum that was once exclusive to students of high income backgrounds.

Policy makers are hopeful that providing students with access to music lessons online can help mitigate the effects of the weaker educations that are often the reality in underfunded school systems. One thing is clear: music education for young children costs far less money than many people would imagine, and the potential benefits are tremendous.

The stakes for these children are high. Children from poor families often fall behind their peers by the age of 3, and the gaps between them and their higher income peers become even larger as they proceed through school. Fortunately, with online music lessons that are personalized to the needs of each student, schools may finally have a solution to this growing concern.