Many parents feel that they are not providing their children with adequate stimulation if they do not enroll their children in music and art lessons. A recent study from Harvard University studied 4-year-old children who were randomly assigned to music or art lessons. After six weeks of classes, the children were tested on core mathematical skills, spatial navigation and linguistic abilities. Children who took music lessons performed no better on cognitive tests than children who took art lessons or no lessons at all. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0082007
This research does not mean that children who demonstrate interest in music and families who value musical endeavors should not pursue music lessons. However, it does suggest that families may want to evaluate the time and resources required to pursue music lessons relative to the predicted benefits on cognitive functioning.
