It doesn’t take more than a few minutes of research to determine music is one of the best forms of therapy for all kinds of issues. And studies show that adding piano playing routines to a person’s lifestyle can provide a variety of benefits, everything from reducing stress to improving focus on everyday activities.
So it’s easy to believe studies that say piano playing provides specific benefits in all kinds of ways, including helping kids with ADHD.
Music adds strength to the areas of the brain where a child with ADHD is weakest. Music builds and strengthens auditory, visual, spatial and motor skills, which are tied to making improvements in speech, language, reading, comprehension, concentration, organization, focusing and attention issues.
Studies show that when children with ADHD begin taking music lessons, their attention, concentration, social functioning, self-esteem, self-expression, and memory all improve. Additionally, if a child has difficulty focusing when there is background noise, music lessons have helped. Which means by adding music lessons to a child’s daily routine, you may quickly begin noticing an improvement in school work, where noises and commotion occur all around them every day of the week.
No matter how old your child is today, if they’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, adding piano to their routine can make a world of difference. Where to start?
Start with group music lessons. Children as young as 18 months old can benefit from being a part of a music program.
Introduce private lessons between five and seven. This is when children become better at focusing, and private lessons make the biggest impact in a daily routine.
Listen to music. Music is all around us, but it’s important to point it out to your child and listen in a variety of ways. Play classic music as they are studying. Sing together in the car. Visit your local symphony for concerts. Point out the music in their favorite movies.
Orchestrate homework. Ever wonder why we sing the ABCs as children? It’s because it allows us to better absorb, retain and retrieve the information over and over again. You can apply this to many lessons a child must memorize in their youth, such as math and science facts. Play music while they focus in on homework, and not only can it help reduce stress and put them in a better frame of mind to finish the work, it can also improve their school abilities over time.
