| The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a sequential program of music instruction on language development, both receptive and expressive language, of preschool children. Subjects were thirty-three three- and four-year-old children from two preschools in the Nashville, Tennessee, area.;Subjects in both intact classes in the study were pretested for receptive language skills using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) form L and for expressive language skills by the collection of tape-recorded language samples. Following the pretest, one group received planned music instruction by a certified music teacher twice a week over a three month period. The other group received no treatment. At the conclusion of the period of instruction, the PPVT-R, form M was administered to all subjects as a posttest for receptive language, and a second language sample was recorded for expressive language.;Results of the study indicated that language development of preschool children was not influenced by music instruction. The lack of random selection of the treatment site may have influenced the outcome of the research by providing a more supportive environment. The likelihood is, however, that the primary influence in the outcome of the study was the small sample size which resulted in a lack of statistical power. Whether the outcome was due to small sample size or to the absence of any effect of music instruction on language development was not determined. The study provided a foundational data base for future large sample research investigating the effects of a sequential program of music instruction on the language development of preschool children. |
