Will Mozart make my child smarter?

The Guardian:

Playing Mozart and Beethoven to young children improves their listening skills, concentration and self-discipline, according to a study this week by the Institute of Education. The study was an evaluation of a programme for primary schools in the London boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets. Some teachers credited the music with improving English skills.

If these are the effects of listening to music, what happens if you encourage your child to play an instrument? According to Glenn Schellenberg, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, who studied the link between music lessons and higher achievement at school, it won’t make much difference. His study, presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston, suggests the link can be explained by the fact that children who have lessons come from richer families: it is their upbringing rather than the lessons that improves their memory, learning and reasoning. So are the benefits of music overstated?

Read the whole story: The Guardian

See Christopher Chabris at the 26th APS Annual Convention.