Cognitive Enhancing Music Education

Wooster Christian School's Cognitive Enhancing Music Education program includes keyboard training for all students in grades K through 4.  With 16 levels of proficiency, our students work on keyboard skills, rhythm, and accompaniment, all the way up to beginning composition and theory.  We include worksheets and checklists in grades 1 through 4 so you can track your child's progress.

In addition, curriculum includes singing, rhythm instruments, and music history.  Scripture songs, including classic hymns of the faith, make up the majority of songs taught in music class, and students learn sign language for most of them.  Signing the songs deepens comprehension and expediates memorization by using both right- and left-brain activities simultaneously.

Overwhelmingly, scientific studies have shown that in active music making, not just passive listening, brain power is increased in children.  This may be the missing link for increased success in reading, math, and science.

Research studies show that it's never too early to start.  After only six months of piano lessons, preschoolers performed 34% higher on spatial-temporal testing than those who received no training or computer training.

A recent article in Neurological Research noted that after learning eighth, quarter, half and whole notes, second and third graders scored 100% higher than their peers who were taught fractions using traditional methods.

That's just the beginning.  College bound seniors with school music experience scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the SAT and 41 points higher in math according to research done by the College Board.

Here at WCS, we realize the importance of music and its life-long effects on our children.  Yet, if you look around in this day and age of school budget cuts, it's often the music programs that are one of the first things to go.  While other schools are cutting music programs, we're busy expanding ours.