Mathematics - Middle School
Below is the research linking arts strategies to specific success at the middle school level in Mathematics. Click on any of the study citations to link to a full summary of the study in ArtsEdSearch, the online database of arts education research.
Concepts
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Students with sustained participation in instrumental music programming demonstrate higher levels of mathematics achievement and greater fluency with concepts such as numerical representation, estimation, and geometry (Catterall & Chapleau, et al., 1999; Southgate & Roscigno, 2009; Spelke, 2008; Vaughn, 2000; Wetter et al., 2009).
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Students enrolled in arts programming, music in particular, outperform their peers on standardized mathematics tests and are more likely to pass state math assessments (Johnson & Memmott, 2006; Walker et al., 2011).
Skills and Competencies
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Arts integrated programming develops many of the skills and competencies students need to master mathematics content such as persistence, problem solving, and strategic thinking (Imms, Jeanneret & Stevens-Ballenger, 2011; Ingram & Meath, 2007; Morris, 2001).
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Music education in particular helps to develop spatial skills necessary for success in mathematics such as logic, reasoning, and pattern recognition (Costa-Giomi, 1999).