If you've never tried it before . . . Click on some beautiful, classical music and see how your child responds.  For a young child, consider playing selections of Mozart before bedtime or when they wake up. Skills that are learned through music training carry over into study skills, communication skills and cognitive skills that are useful to all parts of life. A 1997 article in the journal "Neurological Research," concluded that music training is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills; the skills necessary for learning math and science.

 

Consider the following . . .

Young people who participate in the arts on 3 days each week for a period of at least 3 hours for at least 1 year are:

• 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
• 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools
• 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair
• 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance
• 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem

Reference:
Living the Arts through Language + Learning: A Report on Community-based Youth Organizations,
Shirley Brice Heath, Stanford University and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching,
Americans for the Arts Monograph, November 1998