Project Title: 

A Study Examining How a Technology-Based Musical Training Program Prepares Early Learners

Funding detail: 
NEA Research Grant
Institution: 
University of South Florida
Principal Investigator: 
Jennifer Bugos
Start year: 
2016
End year: 
2018
Project summary: 

To support a study examining how a technology-based musical training program prepares early learners. This project will experimentally evaluate the effects of a preschool program focused on developing creativity, gross motor skills (drums using a computer tablet), and vocal skills. Researchers will study whether participation in the program is related to student outcomes such as working memory, executive functioning, inhibition, and auditory processing in at-risk young children. Participants will be recruited from local preschools and Head Start centers and will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: a music group, a building blocks group, and a no-treatment group. Researchers will use pre- and post-assessments to test whether children in the music group significantly improve in outcomes compared with the other groups.