Music and arithmetic interventions in preschool learning - Different routes, same results?

Previous research suggests that musical and arithmetic skills are intertwined in child development. Here we address this assumption by means of an intervention study with kindergarteners. Children were randomized into three groups: music training, arithmetic training, and controls. Children in the two intervention groups, but not in the control group, participated in weekly sessions of 60 minutes over eight weeks. Groups did not differ in sex, age, IQ and music experiences at baseline. Pre-post intervention measurements revealed a significant group x time interaction, with children in both music and arithmetic groups significantly improving their fundamental arithmetic skills compared to children in the control group. Music children also improved in one of the working memory tests. These results confirm and extend previous findings to suggest similar learning improvements for arithmetic skills irrespective of training. More research is needed to identify the mechanisms that associate music learning with improved arithmetic skills.