Music in Education

Although state education budgets do not always reflect it, the value of music in education has been well documented in the scientific literature. Studies have shown that music training has beneficial effects for spatial reasoning, literacy, and verbal memory; recently, researchers have even developed a line of data in support of music education as a “creative and cost-effective” form of treatment for language-based learning disorders. The developing brains of young musicians benefit from the multi-modal nature of music: it involves precise physical coordination, emotional expression, and careful looking and listening, all at the same time. But it’s important to remember that there is plenty to value in music education that goes beyond these technical, cognitive gains.

One of the most important lessons in any student’s education, and one that is not explicitly taught in many school curricula, is how to be a smart and effective learner. For most students, learning to learn is something that happens over several years, in a relatively undirected, inefficient, and often frustrating process of trial and error. Taking on the challenge of a new instrument can provide a perfect learning laboratory for instilling the habits of great students that don’t come naturally to many: the discipline of daily practice, pride in easy to measure improvements (and those that are harder to quantify), knowing when and how to ask for help when encountering the unknown, struggling to get it right (and knowing that’s okay), and celebrating commitment and hard work, all in a fun and expressive environment. Much more than his or her new skill on the cello, these learning lessons will transfer over to the invaluable student skills that kids need to make the most of their education.

When students have the chance to play their new instrument as part of a young ensemble of musicians, they also develop an understanding of teamwork and collaboration that is not always on offer in the classroom. Many students dread group projects in school, and with good reason; coordinating the efforts of individuals in a group can be a social and academic nightmare. In the context of a school orchestra or band, however, collaboration and teamwork are the norm. Any ensemble experience involves learning to listen carefully and play in unison, balance different parts from the different sections, and achieve a group vision of how the piece should work, both technically and emotionally. There’s an opportunity here for students to develop leadership skills, and to support one another’s growth as members of the same section work to perfect their parts in small groups. 

Even apart from the cognitive benefits scientists have attributed to music education, trying out a new instrument provides invaluable learning experiences to young students. As a testing ground where they can learn to learn, and an inherently collaborative activity, music deserves a place in any child’s education. It’s also, importantly, a chance for kids to express themselves in a new and vital way, and to appreciate a human tradition of music that they will encounter every day for the rest of their lives.

Short Term vs. Long Term Memory

Anytime we have an experience or learn something, our brain stores it as new information. Sometimes it is stored for years, sometimes only moments. There are still unanswered questions about what exactly determines whether information gets transferred to long-term memory or not. But there are a few basic properties of short and long term memory that scientists understand.

What is short term memory?

Our brains are constantly receiving sensory input. Whether through sight, sound, or touch, our brains have to quickly decide whether input is important enough to store. And we filter out a vast majority of this input. The sights we pass as we are driving, the sensation of scratching a bug bite, or the sound of a dog barking are not usually memories we keep for very long. 

When we are consciously trying to remember new information we receive, we store it in our short-term memory. The length of time we can retain it depends on the amount of information and its importance. Most experts believe that our short-term memories can hold no more than seven items at a time. This may be a seven-digit phone number or seven grocery items. These are not necessarily things that we need to remember for more than a little while—just enough time to make a call or take a trip to the store. 

What is Long-Term Memory?

Let’s take that phone number that you needed. After you’ve made your call, you’re not likely to remember that phone number for long. But you find yourself needing the same phone number again and again. The first several times you make the call, you’ll need to look up the number, but after enough repetitions you will have eventually memorized it. At this point you no longer need to look it up because it has transferred to your long-term memory.

This doesn’t mean that your brain will keep the phone number no matter how often you use it. While our capacity for long-term knowledge is vast, it is still limited. Therefore, long-term information that we don’t access on a somewhat regular basis will eventually fade. This is why you were able to remember algebra formulas through all three levels of courses that you took in high school and college, but now, all these years later, you can’t recall any of them. You stored them in your long-term memory when you needed them. By now, your brain has freed up that space for more pertinent information. But just like riding a bike, if you find yourself needing it again, the information will stick much more easily than when you first learned it.

How to Transfer information from Short- to Long-term Memory

When you memorized that phone number, it wasn’t because you “crammed” it. It was because you spent many short periods of time purposefully trying to remember it, over several days, weeks, or months. This is the same way students create long-term knowledge. It’s why cramming for a test might get you the grade you want, but you won’t truly have learned any of the material. Studying for 20 minutes a day every day for the week or two leading up to the test is much more effective for long-term knowledge than spending hours the night before, trying to force it all into memory. Make information stick long-term by regularly spending short periods of time working with the information. Eventually, you’ll commit it to long-term memory.

Talking With Your Children About Learning Differences

If you really think about it, we all have learning and thinking differences. No two people learn and think in exactly the same way. If they did, the world would be far less interesting. Still, whether or not your child has an "official" learning difference, it’s important to talk to him or her about these differences.

Historically, lots of well-meaning parents thought it was best to shield their children from knowing about their learning challenges. This was especially true of students who had diagnosed disabilities. Luckily, times are changing. The parental reflex about children's disabilities is starting to shift from embarrassment to empowerment. Being “neurodiverse” is no longer something to be ashamed of.

Even if your child is considered “neurotypical,” this conversation is still relevant to you. It’s still important for your child to understand that people learn and think and even act differently from she does. Have conversations about what neurodiversity is. Talk about the ways in which neurodiversity benefits us as a society. This is the best way to prepare your child to be the empathetic and compassionate person she is capable of being.

Be as transparent as possible as early as possible

Discussing learning and thinking differences with your child should not be a one-time thing. The more you talk with your child about differences of all kinds, the more normal they become. When we “shield” our kids from understanding neurodiversity (theirs or others'), we are likely doing more harm than good. Children inevitably find out about their learning differences, often at a much older age. When this happens, they are usually either embarrassed or relieved. Finding out there is a reason for their struggles in school can come as a huge epiphany to some kids.

Use age-appropriate levels of complexity

Of course, you’ll navigate the topic differently with a 5-year-old than you would with a 15-year-old. The older your child becomes, the more specific you can get in your discussions. For very young children, whether they have a learning difference or not, use mostly vague and general language in your conversations. For older children, you can begin to be more specific in terms of the names of disabilities and the ways in which they usually affect people.

Look to characters on TV

Even Sesame Street is evolving! If you haven’t met Julia yet, she is the most recent addition to the Sesame Street cast and she is a monster with autism. Kids learn a lot from Julia, regardless of whether or not they have a diagnosed disability. Including Julia in the Sesame Street cast shows her in a light that celebrates her differences as unique gifts and not as a "disability".

Multisensory Phonics Instruction

Learning should happen through all five senses as much as possible. When learning is multi-sensory, it becomes deeper and lasts longer. It also provides learners with multiple modes of working with the content.

Many of us associate learning phonics with seeing and saying individual letter sounds, then combinations of letters, and eventually full words. While this more traditional method has a prominent place in phonics instruction, it should by no means be the only strategy. Here are some effective multisensory ways to help students learn how to decode (or sound out).

Writing with fingers

Some students are able to learn their letters sounds and develop the fine motor skills needed to hold a pencil at the same time. For many students, however, the challenge of the pencil grip distracts a student from internalizing letter formation and corresponding sound. Separating the two by having students practice letter formation with their fingers can help them solidify how letters are formed without needing to worry about pencil grip, correct pressure, and all of the fine motor skills needed to hand write. The possibilities for writing with fingers are endless. Simple air writing is a great strategy for introducing letter formation. Shaving cream and sand are other popular materials and are fun for kids to get their hands in!

Tapping out sounds

For many students, especially those who struggle to retain letter sounds and put sounds together effectively, it helps to add a kinesthetic component. One way to incorporate sense of touch into students’ phonics instruction is to have them tap out sounds while they read. Using one or two fingers, students can gently tap their arm, their lap, or a table, using one tap for each individual phoneme. As students learn to blend, or put sounds together fluently, the taps can turn into strokes. This represents the transition from making choppy, individual sounds, to putting the sounds together to make full words. The physical component that this method incorporates can help students make stronger connections as they learn letter sounds.

Using letter manipulatives

Another great way for students to practice putting sounds together is to use letter manipulatives. These are small, pre-made letter shapes or pieces of paper with individual sounds on them. Students use the individual letters to create syllables or whole words. This method lets them work gradually by starting with one sound and adding each subsequent sound one at a time. If the student is able to say the sounds together as they are creating the word, this further reinforces the sounds they are working with.

Using texture

Students who are tactile learners benefit from learning their letter sounds paired with textures. This can be done by using objects like sandpaper for cut-out letters. You can also have students “write” a letter in glue, then have them cover the glue in glitter. Once the glue dries, they have a very tactile (and sparkly!) opportunity to practice the letter and its sound(s).

Using whole body movement

Finally, kinesthetic learners also benefit from incorporating their whole body into learning phonics. Using their bodies to create different letters while they say the letter name/sound helps them to remember the way the letters look and sound. Even students who are not kinesthetic learners love movement activities like this. They get to be silly, have fun, and learn deeply!

Conclusion

The most effective phonics instruction carefully balances research-backed, explicit instruction with effective reinforcement activities like the ones outlined here. Either method of learning phonics won’t be nearly as effective on its own. Only when students receive a truly multisensory learning experience do they have the greatest chance of becoming successful readers.

"Don't Quote Me On That": The Importance of Context

Learning how to use quotes strategically is a skill that takes students years to master. It can take even longer for students to learn how to keep quotes they find in their original context. This means keeping the original author’s meaning intact, and not manipulating it to meet one’s needs. This type of word manipulation is known as “the quoting out of context fallacy.” When writers use quotes with a meaning other than originally intended, this misrepresents the author/speaker being quoted. It also discredits whatever it is the quoter is using the words to support or argue.

This type of misleading quotation is relatively harmless when used in a research paper for middle or high school. However, as students progress through the grades, into college, and eventually into the real world, the stakes become higher for any writing they produce. This is why students should begin to learn early on how to evaluate whether they are using quotations accurately.

It’s All About Perspective

The most common type of out-of-context quotation is when only part of a larger quote is used. When we use quotes this way, it gives them an entirely new meaning. 

Here’s an example: 

“The book is incredibly challenging to read, but worth every second,” said John Smith.

One could easily use this quote for a negative book review. Simply take the first part, “The book is incredibly challenging to read,” and use it to support a negative stance. But John Smith, the original author, meant these words differently, as the prelude to a compliment. While the quotation would not necessarily be wrong, attributing this partial quote to John Smith would be a misrepresentation. It would make it appear as though Smith viewed the book unfavorably, which was not the case. This is one example of why keeping quotes in context is important for credibility.

When Irony Doesn’t Translate

Another example of taking quotes out of context is when they are originally said with irony or sarcasm that doesn’t translate in the quotation. Similar to the example above, these types of quotations need further context in order for the irony or sarcasm to come through. 

Let’s look at another example:

“This book is absolutely perfect…for anyone who wants to immediately be put to sleep,” said John Smith

The irony in this quote is that the seemingly flattering first clause is setting up the harsh criticism that follows. If used alone, the quote “This book is absolutely perfect,” means the opposite of how John Smith originally intended it.

While committing this fallacy in writing may be simply a part of the learning process, it’s important that students are aware of when they are doing it. Because teachers won’t always know when a student has quoted out of context (unless they research every quote students use), we need to teach students explicitly how to avoid this error by showing them examples like the ones above, and giving them opportunities to practice using the given quotes in their own writing. The more they practice the skill, the more likely they are to avoid using quotes improperly in their future writing.

How to Improve Your Memory

We all have moments when memory fails us. The name we're looking for may be on the tip of our tongues. The image might be there, but it’s too fuzzy to really make out. Our brains can only hold on to so much information at once. And when we don’t truly need to remember something, it fades. While this can be frustrating at times, it’s what our brains need to do to make room for new information. Luckily, there are ways to improve the amount that our brains are able to remember. By following some or all of these strategies, you can sharpen your recall, increase the capacity of information your brain can hold, and improve your memory in general, whether you're learning a language or memorizing digits of pi.

We would be remiss not to mention the holy grails of virtually all mental, physical, and cognitive health concerns: the restorative power of sleep, exercise, good nutrition, and stress relief. These are always the best places to start improving memory or any of the body and brain’s many other functions. Aside from these areas, here are some additional strategies for addressing memory specifically:

1. (Try Your Best To) Focus

We understand better than most that this is easier said than done. Especially for people with ADHD, focusing takes tremendous effort and energy. But creating structure to enable this focus can help you maintain attention long enough to commit information to memory. Try setting a timer for five minutes to start, with nothing to interrupt your focus. Turn the cell phone on silent, and remove all possible distractions. Know that a break is coming soon, and try to keep all of your attention on the details of what you are learning. Next time, try to increase your focusing time to six minutes, then seven. 

2. Never Cram

As we have discussed in previous posts, cramming never does anyone any good. Even if you get the grade you want, by next week, you’ll forget all the information you thought you learned. Spread your studying out over the course of days, or even weeks prior to a test, gradually building up your knowledge, and reviewing periodically. Studying in small chunks is always more effective than all at once.

3. Use Mnemonics and Visualization!

Notice how many times we’ve mentioned mnemonics in our posts? That’s because they really do work! Research proves that creating memorable associations helps our brains hold on to new information so much longer than mere repetition. And if the information you are trying to retain doesn’t lend itself as easily to a mnemonic (studying lines for a script or memorizing historical events, for example), then try creating  visualizations. 

4. Talk Out Loud

If you’re studying by yourself, we admit: this might feel strange. But hearing your voice speak the information you’re trying to learn helps your brain process it much more fully than when you say it in your head. And if you are studying with a buddy or in a group, make sure you are reinforcing concepts and information out loud to each other. Teaching others significantly improves our retention of information, even if we aren’t actually “teaching” them, but merely talking to them about our learning.

5. Rephrase

Even more powerful than reading information out loud is speaking that information out loud in your own words. The cognitive process involved in paraphrasing information helps your brain more easily commit it to memory. The more times you put your brain through this process, the more likely the information is to stick!

6. Activate Schema

Finally, make sure whatever it is you are studying feels relevant to you. Relate it to your prior knowledge, think about what you already know about the topic by memory before even attempting to study it, and always ask questions. Even if you don’t bother to answer them, actively engaging in your learning by questioning and wondering is a much more effective method of studying than passive memorization techniques.

Is it Writer's Block, or Something More?

It can be hard to know how to help students who feel “stuck” in their writing. As students progress through the grades, writing demands grow more and more challenging. Many students are able to keep up, whether with or without extra supports, like sentence starters. But sometimes students who have been doing just fine so far suddenly find themselves struggling with writing. So how can we tell if a student is experiencing writer's block or something more concerning? 

Writer’s block can look very different from one student to the next. It can last varying amounts of time, from a few minutes to several weeks. Therefore, it can be difficult to identify the root cause. Plus, writer’s block can sometimes resemble a writing disability in that they both result in the student feeling stuck. And while students with disabilities can be more susceptible to getting writer’s block, the two things have nothing to do with each other. 

What To Write Vs. How To Write

When a student suffers from writer’s block, they are unable to decide what to write. Sometimes they are unable to come up with any ideas at all, and sometimes they just can't choose one. While this can be a very frustrating experience for any author, especially for an amateur writer, there are ways to tell when this type of roadblock is due to a lack of creativity or a lack of understanding.

While true writer’s block comes from being stuck on what to write, difficulty that stems from a writing disability exists because the student may not know how to write what they are supposed to be writing. Sometimes a student is stuck in their writing because something about the task or writing purpose feels too challenging. This is when a teacher will need to intervene with some explicit teaching in whatever it is the student is struggling with.

Signs of a writing disability

When a child experiences writer’s block for one day, then it will be clear very soon that that’s all it was. But if the student is dealing with a long-term struggle, the best way to determine whether it’s just writer’s block or a writing disability is to carefully observe the student’s habits in other areas of writing. How does he perform when writing for other academic purposes? Is his writing more proficient or does he experience more or less the same struggles? How does he appear to feel about writing for other purposes? If he is motivated and confident in other areas but struggles when it comes to informational writing, then it’s probably writer’s block. But if you notice the same struggles across classes or subject areas, and/or the student’s feelings about writing have gotten more negative and stay that way, it might be worth a preliminary evaluation.

How to Teach Kids Time Management

As students progress through the grades, they usually find themselves with more and more unstructured time. On the surface, this seems great. More free time means more time for them to finally do what they want! But once homework starts piling up, it is their responsibility to decide when they complete it, in what order, and how much attention and thought goes into each assignment. Organization can be challenging, and is not always directly taught. They might forget about the paper they have due on Monday when they make plans with friends on Sunday night. With a little support, students can quickly learn effective time management strategies.

Use monthly, weekly, and daily overviews

Use the right tool for the job! Write general and long-term commitments on a monthly calendar. Use a weekly calendar to plan out more specific obligations, and save to-do lists and more detailed assignments for a daily planner.

Color code or use symbols

Keep track of different types of events, assignments, or appointments with different colors or symbols. Use one to track social events, another for family obligations, and a third for school assignments. You can even use different colors or symbols for different school subjects. This makes it really easy to get a quick visual overview of the day or week.

Write in work time on the calendar

In order to ensure that enough time is left for work, include it on the calendar. Once you’ve taken stock of all of your assignments, estimate how long each will take, and schedule your work time accordingly. Make sure your work time gets scheduled before any social or free time gets added to the calendar. And allow more work time than you expect you’ll need–it’s better to finish early than to run out of time! This is key to successful time management.

Keep work times consistent (when possible)

Establishing a schoolwork routine makes it more likely that students will follow through on their assignments and do everything that needs to get done. When possible, try to schedule work time around the same time each day, and adapt to what works best. On school nights, usually that’s after a quick break and snack or any extracurriculars. Weekends are a bit more flexible, but try to stick to roughly the same time. If a student works more productively first thing in the morning, schedule work time for mornings. If late afternoon works best, try to reserve that time for school assignments.

Schedule breaks

Work can feel much more manageable and less overwhelming when we know a break is coming. Build breaks into the schedule to ensure time for much-needed rest. Breaks should be at least 5 minutes, but no more than 15. If a student isn’t sure what to do during a break, suggest something relaxing yet mindful. Go for a quick walk, do some stretching or yoga, have a snack, play with a pet, doodle while listening to music, read for pleasure, or have a quick chat with a friend.

Reading Resources for Kids of Military Parents

Military kids move often and experience emotional stress that can impact their ability to learn to read. However, books are one of the best ways for these kids to process their emotions and learn to face life with courage. 

As a teacher or tutor, you want your students to succeed, and you recognize that military students face more challenges than many other young kids. Teaching them to read will give them tools for handling the stress of life and succeeding in school. 

Reading stories about other military families can encourage kids that they aren’t alone and spark a life-long love of reading. Here are three types of reading resources for children of military parents that you can use to support the families and students with whom you work.

1. Processing Loneliness

There are many children’s books that have been written to help military families process the loneliness and confusion kids may feel during a parent’s deployment. Although many of these books are geared toward younger children, having access to them can also help older kids and teenagers understand their own emotions. 

You can assign these books as reading material or arrange a reading program where older students can read to younger children. Although it’s unlikely that all your students come from military families, loneliness is a universal emotion, and these stories will teach empathy and compassion toward classmates.

• I Love You Near and Far by Marjorie Blain Parker

This children’s book tells the story of a military family experiencing separation due to deployment. The family is depicted as cats, and the story makes parallels between missing a deployed loved one and missing a grandparent who lives far away. This book is an encouraging reminder that love can be strong even if the person you love is very far away. 

• Night Catch by Brenda Ehrmantraut

Written in rhyme, this story describes a father and son who play catch with a star every night until the father returns from deployment. They blow the north star back and forth as a way to remind each other that the world is smaller than it seems, and they are never far from each other’s thoughts. 

2. Studying the Military 

It may also help your students to spend time learning about the military. That way, they’ll have a better understanding of what their parent is doing overseas and why it’s so important. Of course, it’s important to be sensitive toward students and only discuss age-appropriate topics. 

Teachers can use military stories to supplement their curriculum and help kids understand the purpose, history, and value of the military in the United States. Although they won’t reduce students’ loneliness for deployed parents, these books can help students feel proud to be part of a military family. 

• Hero Mom and Hero Dad by Melinda Hardin 

These basic picture books describe the different jobs military parents may be doing overseas. The pages describe roles like building, flying helicopters, moving trucks, and working in medical settings. In addition to describing roles, this book emphasizes the courage and dedication of military parents. 

• H Is For Honor by Devin Scillian

Based on the alphabet, each page in this book describes the challenges military families face and teaches readers about several military terms, military branches, and military traditions. This book is an excellent read for elementary kids and will give your students context for what their parent’s life is like.  

3. Understanding PTSD

A list of books for military kids wouldn’t be complete without resources for families affected by PTSD. It can be very difficult for kids to understand that their parent is still fighting an internal battle even after they get home. 

These stories are a great way to introduce students to the topic of mental health. They also promote empathy and will help students learn that any anger or stress their military parent is feeling is not their fault. 

• My Daddy Has PTSD by Miranda Watson and James Rosone

This book tells the story of a very small girl who learns that her Daddy is experiencing PTSD. This is a great resource to introduce the concept of trauma to young children. However, it’s important to be sensitive and avoid worrying kids about something that may not happen. 

• Wounded by Eric Walters

Written for older students, this story describes how PTSD can affect every member of a military family. The reading level and quality content make this an incredibly helpful resource for students who have a family member suffering from PTSD. However, because it deals with mature themes, it’s important to screen this book before you assign it. 

Supporting Your Students

Many military students experience prolonged separation from a parent and the emotional stress of frequent moves. As a teacher, you can support military students best by igniting their love of reading with relatable and encouraging stories about military families. 

Use this list to start incorporating military fiction into your curriculum, and be sure to encourage parents to read to their kids. This bonding time can help families process their emotions and give them a sense of security that will translate to their wellbeing, in and out of school.

Strategies for Building Resilience

Resilience is an important skill that no one is born with. Kids who have skills in resilience are able to bounce back from disappointment sooner. They often overcome obstacles more successfully, and are more likely to persevere through challenges. Here are some of the ways we can help children build these important skills in class and at home.

1. Instill a Growth Mindset

Students who have a growth mindset view their ability to learn as evolving. They know that intelligence is not fixed and that they can succeed with hard work and effort. Students with a fixed mindset, on the other hand, might look at a poor grade and see it as a reflection of their capabilities. But a student with a growth mindset might look at that same grade and see it as an opportunity to learn. They might see it as a signal that they did not study hard enough on a test, or work hard enough on a project. Students with a growth mindset face their mistakes and failures head on and attempt to learn from them.

2. Model Positive Self-Talk

Students with more confidence and self-esteem are always more resilient. One of the best ways to build confidence is to model how students should talk to and about themselves. This is called positive self-talk, and students learn it best through example. When the adults around them talk about themselves in positive and encouraging ways, kids learn to do the same.

3. Encourage Healthy Risk-Taking

We don’t often think of “risks” as something we should encourage. But healthy risk-taking doesn’t mean putting oneself in unsafe or perilous situations. Taking healthy risks means embracing those situations that push us outside of our emotional or intellectual comfort zone. This might include trying a brand new activity we’ve never done before, or presenting in front of a group of people when we are scared of public speaking. The more we can encourage students to take these healthy types of risks, the more resilient they’ll become.

4. Help Build Coping Skills and Teach Emotional IQ

In order to become more resilient, students need to develop coping skills for those times when they face challenges and difficulties. This requires the self-awareness to recognize when they are becoming overwhelmed or stressed beyond productivity. When these feelings arise, students need mechanisms for bringing themselves back to a calm state, like a mantra or breathing strategy. This recognition and these tools require developing emotional awareness and intelligence. The best promote this awareness in students is to frequently use language that describes emotions and offer students plenty of structured opportunities to talk about their feelings using relevant vocabulary.

5. Let Kids Learn How to Problem Solve On Their Own

Sometimes our best intentions lead us to try to solve all of our children’s problems for them. When we see our students or our own kids in any kind of unrest or distress, we just want to fix it for them. But that doesn’t teach them how to face these problems on their own, which they will eventually need to learn how to do. We can begin letting kids solve their own problems by modeling the process and by being there to guide and support, but not spoon-feed them the solution every time they encounter conflict.