Music and Mathematics

Christina LloydMathematics Specialization

Introduction

Research Question: Will teaching a mathematics unit through music increase first graders’ understanding of that mathematical content over time?

Literature Review Music is mathematics

o Music is comprised of mathematical relationships (Southgate and Roscigno, 2009)

o Music naturally lends itself to incorporating and teaching mathematical concepts (Johnson & Edelson, 2003; Geist & Geist, 2008)

Musical mnemonics o Help students memorize information (Scruggs &

Mastropieri, 1990)

o Works through rehearsal of material (Scruggs & Mastropieri, 1990)

Methodology Setting:

o Kindergarten/First grade multi-aged classroom in a Stafford County public school

Participants:o Only first graders were assessed during this studyo 9 first graders from my K/1 classroom (experimental group)o 7 first graders from a different K/1 classroom (control group)

Duration: o Two week measurement unito Tested after the unit, and again two and four weeks after the unit o Coins were taught and practiced throughout my student teaching

experience

Procedure Supplemental Musical Activities Music is mathematics

o A mountain dulcimer was used to teach the mathematical concept of length

Musical mnemonicso Recognition of coins and their value, a concept taught in

mathematics, will be taught through a song

Assessment Students were assessed one-on-one with the

researcher Assessments took place after the measurement

unit, and again two and four weeks after the unit ended

Students were asked to:o List tools and strategies we can use to measure thingso What measurement is (definition)o Identify coinso Identify values of coinso List how students learned about the coins

Results Music is Mathematics

o Students in the experimental group had a broader definition of measurement than the control group

o Students in the experimental group also had more measurement strategies, on average, than the control group Average Number of Strategies Listed

Assessment Data Collection Number

Results Musical Mnemonic

o Many students could already successfully identify the various coins and their values

o Students who initially struggled with identifying coin names and values were very successful once they used the coin song

  Assessment

#1

Assessment

#2

Assessment

#3

Average

Control Group 73.21 83.33 89.29 81.94

Experimental  

Group85.94 93.75 95.85 91.85

Percentage Correct on Coin Identification and Value Assessment

Implications Music is a tool which can be used to broader

understanding of underlying mathematical content

Music as a memory tool can help struggling students master mathematical concepts which must be memorized

I would use this in my own classroom to enhance mathematics activities, and to engage students

References

Armistead, M. (2007). Kaleidoscope: How a creative arts enrichment program prepares children

for kindergarten. Young Children, 62, 86-93.

Geist, E. A., Geist, K. (2008). Using music to support emergent mathematics. Young Children,

63, 20-25.

Johnson, G. L., Edelson, R. J. (2003). Integrating music and mathematics in the elementary

classroom. Teaching Children Mathematics, 9, 474-479.

Scruggs, T. E., Mastropieri, M. A. (1990). The case for mnemonic instruction: From laboratory

research to classroom applications. The Journal of Special Education, 24, 7-29.

Southgate, D. E., & Roscigno, V. J. (2009). The impact of music on childhood and adolescent

achievement. Social Science Quarterly (Blackwell Publishing Limited), 90, 4-21.Questions?