There's something about music that can help children remember what they've learned. Hearing background music while also learning something new boosts retention because it activates the information mentally, physically and emotionally, according to the Johns Hopkins School of Education. Activating these areas of the brain encourages them to work together, which improves the odds that students will remember the information being presented to them. Specifically, Johns Hopkins notes that listening to music increases retention of vocabulary words and encourages students to learn and read new words.
While certain kinds of music will do little more than encourage students to get up and sing and dance, playing calming music, such as classical or light jazz, might improve concentration. Listening to music while doing classwork can encourage students to focus and complete their assignments in a timely manner. It works because music helps students form visual images and feel emotionally positive so they are able to concentrate better, according to the Education.com website. The Johns Hopkins School of Education reports that listening to music with 50 to 80 beats per minute, such as baroque music, is most effective at helping students enter a state of intense concentration.
When students are tired or bored, they're less likely to perform well in the classroom. Playing Mozart can wake students up and help them remain alert enough to learn and perform as expected, according to Johns Hopkins. Play bass music to help children learn more quickly, the Education.com website recommends. Children who hear bass sounds are motivated to move around, and movement helps them make connections in the brain that will help them remember and recall information, such as new words, more successfully. Listening to music also piques the interest of most students so they pay closer attention, and thus are able to demonstrate that they're learning something new.
Listening to different beats, learning to read music and reading graphic notation boosts comprehension in other subjects, such as math and literacy, according to the Education Votes website, which is funded by the National Education Association. Music can have powerful benefits for special education populations and children who have behavior difficulties, too. A 2003 article published in the British Journal of Special Education notes that background music can decrease aggressive behavior and improve a child's ability to concentrate, cooperate and complete classwork.