How to Teach Mathematics by Listening to Classical Music
Studies have proven that classical music can actually help children learn better. Many people use classical music to help them focus or to relax. However, classical music can also be an educational tool. Music and math make a wonderful couple. Students studying both will quickly tell you that math is very much a part of music theory. Classical music can also help students learn more about math in a much more enjoyable manner.
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Instructions
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Download or purchase any classical music (see Resources). The classics such as Mozart and Beethoven are always great picks. Also, download some sheet music to have a visual with the music.
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Use the sheet music and actual music to teach students about fractions (see Resources). Each measure in a piece of music is divided into parts. The time signature tells students how many beats are in each measure.
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Teach students the different types of notes and their values. Have the student then add and subtract the various wholes, halves, quarters, eighths, sixteenths and any other fractional beats. The answer should equal the time signature in the music.
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Try to pick music that has more than one time signature. This will allow you to show how the values of notes change with the time signature. For instance, a whole note has a value of 4 beats in 4/4 time, but only a value of 3 beats in 3/4 time.
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Count and clap each measure to help teach students how fractions actually sound. You can have the students actually conduct various parts to see how each fractional note creates whole measures. This will help them relate fractions to something they enjoy.
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Tips & Warnings
Using music to teach math makes learning more fun. Also, students see how math relates to the real world instead of simply seeing problems in a book.
Add in other resources in addition to the classical music. Also, be sure to use both the sheet music and the actual music to reinforce the student’s understanding. Without both, the student may not actually see how fractions relate to the music.
