Using Music to Teach Elementary Math

November 5, 2007

Eric Chandler, an elementary school teacher in Purcellville, Va., writes songs and adapts the lyrics of others to make the learning of mathematics and other subjects memorable in more ways than one. "A song, if it's catchy enough, gets stuck in your head," he recently told the Washington Post. So, he embeds math lessons in sticky tunes that students might recall one day when sitting a test.

To the style of rock music by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chandler would sing, for instance, about subtraction: You say the bigger number and count backwards/Or say the smaller number, then count forwards/Just say one, count the other on your finger/Where you stop's the answer, now let's sing . . . Take it away, take it away, take it away now.

Chandler, 33, turned to teaching with music after hearing of Quantum Learning, which encourages the use of music to keep students attentive. To fine-tune his work, he received a grant to purchase a portable studio containing a microphone, electric drum set, and recording equipment. Chandler then collaborated with a technology teacher at his school to make slide shows and music videos of his songs, many of which have been posted on his school system's server.

Whether music raises math test scores or math and verbal skills may be an open question, but it does spark recall. So, it seems to have a place in the classroom. Among those who agree are 200 artists who have contributed material to songsforteaching.com, which offers music for core subjects, languages, special education programs, and classroom management. Other websites emphasize mathematics or science songs.

Source: Washington Post, Oct. 23, 2007.