As of May 2010, studies were being conducted by the Dana Arts and Cognition Consortium that gave initial indications that children who have learned to play a musical instrument have better critical thinking skills than children who have not learned to read or play music. Theories to explain this range from the mathematical structures of classical music to the idea that classical music helps focus a child's mind.
Music and linguistics share common ground, such as tone, timbre, tempo and rhythm. Based in part on studies by Laurel Trainor, director of the Institute for Music and the Mind at McMaster University in West Hamilton, Ontario, and Harvard University researcher Gottfried Schlaug, some scientists and educators embrace the theory that children exposed to classical music during early childhood development have an easier time learning to speak, learning their letters and learning to read. This theory holds that a child's brain processes the instruments in an orchestra, differentiates the alternating rhythms within a tempo and discerns the tonal shifts; therefore, these brains are primed to apply those same sound recognition skills to language development.
Known as the "Mozart Effect" based on a study conducted at the University of California at Irvine in 1993, this unproven theory rests on tests that seem to indicate that people who listen to classical music, such as that composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, perform better on spatial reasoning tasks immediately, and temporarily, after exposure to the music. While this study was conducted on adults, similar experiments conducted on children show similar, if not conclusive, results.
A theory proposed by psychologist Jean Piaget as early as the 1920's, cognitive development analyzes how children learn and process information, testing areas such as memory, problem solving and language development. Studies indicate that children introduced to classical music as early as infancy show more advanced cognitive development, but not enough testing has been conducted for this theory to be accepted as fact.
Psychologists have long touted the benefits of classical music exposure for its ability to calm and soothe the mind as well as stimulate intellectual processes. Many educators have taken advantage of these properties in classical music in assignments meant to stimulate a child's imagination. For example, music teachers might challenge children to compose lyrics for concertos, art teachers can ask students to draw and paint artwork inspired by sonatas, and English teachers may assign students to write stories inspired by symphonies.