Music training and auditory processing skills in children: a systematic review

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To check the contribution of music training to auditory processing skills in children.

Research strategy

A search was performed in October 2018, using the descriptors Music, Child, Childhood, Children, Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Auditory Perception, Auditory Processing, using the AND operator.

Selection criteria

The main research question was: “What has been reported in the scientific literature about the contribution of musical training to auditory processing skills in children?” We selected only controlled clinical trials with the child population, studies published in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

Results

The search strategy resulted in the selection of ten articles. The studies showed several skills tested and different forms of evaluation.

Conclusion

Based on the findings, it can be concluded that music training improves auditory processing skills, so the longer the training time, the more these skills are reinforced. Thus, music training is an effective method that can be potentially used in children, both in the development of oral and written communication - to aid in the acquisition of auditory skills - and after acquisition, in order to improve such skills.

Keywords:
Evoked potentials, auditory; Music; Auditory processing; Child; Review