Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Publication Date
2014
Journal
Undergraduate Honours Theses
Abstract
Past research found that there seems to be a relationship between musical and non-musical abilities. Specifically, research has identified many benefits of singing for children. Singing has been linked to certain language skills such as pronunciation, the learning of vocabulary, and sentence structure. Singing has also been used as a means of improving language abilities in children with language and mental delays. The present study aimed to identify if there was a direct correlation between singing competency and language abilities in children. In the present study, language abilities were measured using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test, and singing competency was defined and measured as an ability to match a model’s pitch, timing, and contour. A total of sixteen children between the ages of two and five were tested. The results showed no significant correlation between singing competency and language abilities independent of age. Age did not correlate with ability to match timing or pitch, but a significant relationship was found between age and ability to match contour.