Krivanek 1

Rachel Krivanek

Mrs. DeBock

English IV Honors

March 3, 2017

Essential Question: Does teaching and involving music in the classroom at elementary level

affect a students work ethic and performance in school?

Working thesis: Teaching music to a developing child can be beneficial for him/her in the

academic setting.

Refined thesis: Teaching music at a young age can improve a students academic skills due to the

intertwined relations of music, math, and language.

Annotated Bibliography

Hallam, Susan and Carey Godwin. "Actual and Perceived Effects of Background

Music on Creative Writing in the Primary Classroom." Psychology of Education

Review, vol. 39, no. 2, Sept. 2015, pp. 15-21.

Hallam compares the actual and perceived effects of music in the classroom. This

article emphasizes types of music and the response it gives while being played in the background

of an elementary class. Focusing on the style of music, Hallam digs deeper into supporting the

thesis that certain types of music have different effects on what students produce. The article also

compares results of classwork and homework of students. The article can be used to strengthen

ones thesis that music can have a positive effect on students in the classroom.

Heiding, Lynn. In the Shadow of the Mozart Effect. Journal of Singing, vol. 70, no.

5, May/Jun2014, pp. 596-602.

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Heiding researches the well known Mozart Effect, which tests the idea of whether

classical music has an effect on students. Her test of this theory strengthens the thesis that the

research paper is based on. Whether the effect of music can be positive or negative is answered

in her research. She also explains what the average person assumes about the Mozart Effect, and

what is actually true. The article also compares the effects of actually playing music versus

listening to it. Although Mozart was a musical genius in the past, his ideas and masterful pieces

have relevance to todays society and education.

Jones, Shelly M. and Dunn, Jr. Pearson. "Music: Highly Engaged Students Connect

Music to Math." General Music Today, vol. 27, no. 1, 01 Oct. 2013, pp. 18-23.

Jones demonstrates a connection between music theory and mathematics. As music

theory was being taught at an elementary level, students learned how to identify notes and their

fractional value. Lessons that are illustrated in the article strengthen ones thesis that music, or

music theory, is connected to math. The different activities that the students learn demonstrate

the ability to have a variation of activities, proving that music and math can be intertwined into

any average lesson and appeal to most students despite their different learning styles.

Moreno-Nuez, Ana, et al. The Rhythmic, Sonorous and Melodic Components of

Adult-Child-Object Interactions between 2 and 6 Months Old. Integrative

Psychological & Behavior Science, vol. 49, Dec. 2015, pp. 737-756.

In this article, Moreno-Nuez analyzing the development and relationship between a

child and their senses. Comparing rhythms and melodic components, she examines whether a

childs development has allowed them to be attracted to sounds or object. Instruments, for
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example, are objects that children could possibly be drawn towards, and Moreno-Nuez digs

deeper into this concept. She also searches to find a connection between children who are

developing and their want to seek specific sounds. This article goes into the connection of the

developing brain and music. It also answers the question on if developing children view sounds

or music different than a fully developed brain.

Rajan, Rekha S. Funding Music. General Music Today, vol. 30, no. 1, Oct. 2016, pp 30-37. 8p.

Rajan explains the importance of music education and the funding struggles that schools

and teachers are experiencing. This article provides the financial aspects as to why music

education may not be pushed in schools. Information about grants, budgets, and funding is all

provided in this article. Rather than the mental effects of music, the logistics of how to make it

possible are discussed. The article is also relevant to the thesis because it focuses on elementary

education.

Winter, Heather Nicole. "The Link between Music Lesson and Iq in Children." American Music

Teacher, vol. 66, no. 2, Oct/Nov2016, pp. 14-18.

Winter provides background information to the connection between music and

education, but also has a focus point on IQ. Winter suggests students involved in music lessons

or other additional extra curricular activities tend to have higher IQs. To back up Winters thesis,

she gives an example of a study that was conducted by E. Glenn Schellenberg of the University

of Toronto, which involved a group of 144 6-year-olds who were given free music lessons for a

year. This study displays the cause and effect relationship of music lessons and a select group of
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students. The article suggests and argues that there is a strong connection between music and IQ

in students.

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