Long-term Associations Between Early Childhood Music Training and Music and Language Abilities

Abstract

Early childhood is considered a sensitive period for both musical and linguistic development, yet there are few multi-year studies tracing how group music instruction may shape these abilities over time. We present four years of data from a single-arm longitudinal study of 216 children aged 3–7 years enrolled in an early childhood music education class in a conservatory setting. Children in the program were tested annually in a battery that measured vocabulary, phonological skills, pre-reading abilities, speech in noise perception, and singing and tapping abilities. Linear mixed-effect models showed significant improvements for several, but not all measures, with planned baseline to follow-up comparisons indicating improvements relative to baseline performance. Multiple regressions including the factors of age and years of classes showed independent contributions of training to several of the phonological outcome measurements as well. These findings suggest that participation in early childhood music education can be associated with cumulative improvements in musical and language skills, adding to the body of evidence on early childhood music education.