We have all heard how music lessons can increase SAT scores.  Music is full of patterns and associations that alter the brain's make-up with newer and stronger connections.  This report backs that up with quotes and figures from various research journals.

It also includes a couple of pages of quotes about music such as this one from Pythagoras:

"There is geometry in the humming of the strings,

there is music in the spacing of the spheres."

Or this one from Hans Christian Anderson:

"Where words fail, music speaks."

Toward the end of the report, the authors also touch on the "squishier" side of the benefits of music education, especially character traits, such as positive attitude, perseverance, and cooperation.

Follow this link from Sonlight Curriculum to get your own copy of this free music research report.

Sonlight Curriculum has recently brought a new music program into their family of products.  Bastien Piano Basics.  According to the site, the program "uses a carefully graded, logical learning sequence to teach piano from 'scratch.' Virtually no parental knowledge or skill required. Students use this series to teach themselves. Practice pieces include a mix of pop, folk, classical and contemporary styles."

I haven't used this program, and I am not affiliated with Sonlight, but it looks interesting enough to me that I plan on trying it out.  I took a peek at the forums to see what moms who have used this program have to say about it.  Many are quite happy with the understandable method.  Whatever program homeschoolers use, however, the consensus is that music education is a valuable component for aesthetic enjoyment, brain development and good, old-fashioned, well-roundedness!

Doesn't that all sound terrific?  I bet you are all nodding your heads right now.  And, your second reaction is probably, "How in the world am I supposed to do that?"

Here are three keys to raising wise and able leaders:

1 Live It.  Your children will not be able to emulate what they do not see. 

Take an inventory of your own leadership skills.  Do you treat others well?  Are you cheerful and pleasant, even when things are weighing on you?  Do you know what you believe in well enough to articulate it to others, especially your kids?  Do you stand up for what you believe in?  Do you reach outside of yourself to make the world a better place?  Do you develop your knowledge to give credibility to your work?

In other words, if you are clear in your communication, mindful of others in your approach, firm in your convictions, competent in your subject matter, and unselfish in your motivations, it is very likely that you will raise children with these traits as well.

2 Step Back.  In order to lead, children need the opportunity.

Our society has developed a strange, oxymoronish (my word) approach to parenting.  On the one hand, many kids are left to their own devices.  Childcare, television, video games, sports, and friends are becoming their core world.  (That is a whole other post… maybe even a book!)  Some of these pasttimes can be used to develop leadership skills in kids.. when they are done correctly.  Often, however, they can create a non-challenging environment, where leadership is defined by the strongest personality in the group.

On the other hand, rather than letting children get out and practice leadership skills, their time is taken up in structured and planned events.  Practical experience in leading others often comes during times when it is least expected.  Don't jump in the next time your son or daughter has a zany idea to create something or solve the problems of the universe.  Instead, step back and see what they can do when left to their own devices.  You might be amazed!

3 Give Feedback.  Raising leaders involves being a mentor. 

Leadership, in and of itself, is morally neutral.  Some leaders have changed the world in amazing ways, regardless of their style.  Mother Theresa was a quiet but powerful force, who gave comfort to many.  John Wesley spoke out forcefully as a leader in faith, even when confronted with conflict from others and within himself.  On the other hand, some terrific leaders have done some horrific things.  Adolf Hitler comes to mind.  His charisma and intellectual abilities could have been used to great good.  He chose otherwise. 

This is where you come in. 

Guide your children as they develop their leadership skills.  When you see your son or daughter using leadership skills in the right way, call their attention to it.  Make sure they know that YOU notice.  Give them books on people who have used their leadership skills the right way.  Talk about personalities that enjoy media coverage.  Study how they lead.  Note who is using their leadership skills for good and who is making immoral choices.

Raising leaders involves more than talking the talk.  Developing leadership skills in your children will take a worthy example, some latitude for discovery, as well as feedback and guidance.  Though you have a great deal of work ahead of you, know that the end result is leaders for tomorrow who can be a force of good in our struggling world.

All that being said, I am curious to know how much thought you moms out there have given to this subject.  Leave a comment on how you raise leaders.  If you haven't got the first clue, then leave a question! 

I was astounded at the number of comments I have seen that are trying to equate homeschooling with laziness.  I am not sure what the commenters think homeschooling is, however it is quite clear that they don't understand it in nature or in practice.  It would be MUCH easier for anyone to send their children to school, where they are taught, supervised and fed throughout the day.  Many parents who choose to homeschool do so after careful consideration of their choices.  Rather than accept a status quo that may not live up to their expectations, they choose to take the responsibility into their own hands (a position that is admirable; personal responsibility is critical to a strong society.)  They realize that, in order to do what is right for their family, its value and its lifestyle, they will take the reigns and handle it themselves. 

Homeschoolers have taken a serious and critical piece of their children's lives back.  They are giving up their own free time and/or career advancement to ensure that their children receive the character education, academic rigor, and life experiences that garner a love for learning and a love for the good.  They spend time researching the best curriculum for their children.  They have their children involved in extra-curriculars and classes to supplement what they are doing at home.  They are creating activities and projects that make the lessons come alive for their children.  They are involving other worthy adults in their children's lives as role models, especially as students move into the upper grades.  They do all of this and also manage to care for a home, finances, marriages, etc.  just like someone who isn't homeschooling.  Using the term "lazy" to describe homeschoolers is simply inaccurate. 

In addition, religious reasons and moral reason are lumped together quite often when discussing the reasons parents choose to homeschool their children.  The research confirms that religious reasons are cited as the top reason for homeschooling (see the National Home Education Research Institute's website here and the National Center for Education Statistics here).  Faith is incredibly important.  However, the choice to homeschool is typically made based on a combination of factors, all intertwined.  Many parents are very concerned with the value system in which their children are being immersed in the public school setting.  This can have its base in religion, but it also concerns values that span denominations, such as respect, responsibility, integrity, and even basic safety and civility issues.  By any measure and with few exceptions, the school systems are not creating the best environment for academic rigor, strong character, or the joy of learning for its own sake.  By their nature, the schools also cannot provide the personalized educational experience that a parent can.  There are simply too many children and too few adult role models.  A more thorough analysis of the "whys" of homeschooling could provide information not just for those who homeschool, but for pointing the schools in a more positive direction, as well. 

One point before I close, basic freedoms are the very foundation this country was founded on.  Parents are  entitled to choose the best education possible for their children.  They may find that in their local public schools which has excellent teachers (and there are some excellent teachers out there), they may find it in a private education that grows their child's faith, or they may find it in the one-on-one educational setting that emphasizes family and in-depth study that is homeschooling.  These decisions must be made at the family level. 

Not everyone needs to choose homeschooling.  The message here is that it is a choice, and one usually made after careful considerations and often made at some personal sacrifice.  Parents choose to take back this responsibility for many reasons, and analyzing those reasons at a more granular level may give the school system some ideas on how to make their own service more effective and meaningful.  Government oversight does not equate with educational excellence.  I encourage anyone interested in homeschooling for themselves, or simply out of curiosity, to do their homework and form a learned opinion of what homeschooling brings to table of education.

Anne Mangen, an associate professor at the Center for Reading Research at the University of Stavenger in Norway, has conducted research on the benefits and drawbacks inherent in digital reading modalities.  She notes, "Several experiments in cognitive psychology have shown how a change of physical surroundings has a potentially negative affect on memory. We should include this in our evaluation of digital teaching aids. The technology provides for a number of dynamic, mobile and ephemeral forms of learning, but we know little about how such mobility and transience influence the effect of teaching. Learning requires time and mental exertion and the new media do not provide for that." (Emphasis mine.)

Mangen describes how the clicking and scrolling which are a part of digital media delivery interrupt a child's focus.  I would liken it to asking a child to multi-task while their brain is trying to learn.  As a reader's brain works to decode the text and comprehend the message with all of its nuances, throwing in an interrupting event every couple of paragraphs forces the brain to work redundantly to "catch up" again.  Instead of a smooth, steady and progressive flow of information, it becomes stilted.

To give you a more concrete idea of this process, try to read a book with your children in the room with you.  How many times did you reread the same sentence or paragraph either because you had to find your place, or because you can't remember what you just read? 

Hypertext stories, which are becoming more prevalent as high-speed internet is more accessible in the school and the home, includes not only text, but also videos, sound, hypertext (links to additional material) and pictures.  While supplemental or descriptive material can add to a learning experience, such as with an online encyclopedia, the constant navigating and renavigating in the hypertext story format can also diminish the brain's ability to concentrate for a substantial length of time.  This format also interferes with the use of imagination in reading.

"The digital hypertext technology and its use of multimedia are not open to the experience of a fictional universe where the experience consists of creating your own mental images. The reader gets distracted by the opportunities for doing something else," Mangen says.

What do we, as moms, take away from this research?  How can we apply the right blend of book resources and new media resources to our children's education?

Three recommendations from Professor Mom:

• Never give up your books.  Even without the scientific back-up, we know that books are a source of brain development, growth, and magic.  I would suggest that every home should have a large collection of books that children can touch and browse and fall in love with.

• Don't discount the wonders of modern technology.  Technology provides us with many amazing tools for learning that didn't exist even 15 years ago.  From researching penguins on the internet to emailing with a penpal in the Mediterranean, the World Wide Web opens up a world of knowledge to our children.

• Use balance.  As with almost everything in life, moderation is the key.  Children's brains need to work hard everyday so that nuerons develop appropriate connections.  Minds need to be stretched and girded up with stories of value and integrity.  Imaginations need to be fueled by words (and, yes, sometimes boredom!) 

Provide an environment that takes advantage of the learning tools that technology gives us and taper those tools with the resources that make the brain work hard.  By creating a balanced approach to learning, you can provide your children with a well-rounded learning experience.

The University of Stavanger (2008, December 22). Storybooks On Paper Better For Children Than Reading Fiction On Computer Screen, According to Expert. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 29, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081219073049.htm

Too long… my baby blog does not like to be left alone, so here I am mulling what has happened.  Does anyone else out there ever find that sometimes backing away from life a bit helps them to prioritize a little better?  That has been the case for me over the last few weeks.  I have been teaching online courses and trying to create a standalone curriculum, all while homeschooling kids, keeping up with family and home, and trying to stay involved in our various communities.  Just typing all of that makes me realize that I need to start taking my own advice.

I need to refocus. 

I have realized that there are certain themes that pop up in my life… certain passions, if you will.  I have spent the last 6 weeks doing some soul-searching.  My journal is full, and I have moved on to scraps of paper lying around the house in order to capture the deluge of thoughts that have been trapped inside of my head.  Do you want to know what I have discovered?  Life is awesome!  When I say that, I don’t mean the "like, totally, dude" variety.  I mean, the meaningful and overwhelming kind of awesome that simultaneously incapacitates and inspires.  My world has so many options, so many opportunities.  I can log on to the computer and be anywhere in the world in about 3 seconds.  I can write posts about world hunger, organizing a kitchen, or corralling a cat and there will be someone, somewhere reading them.  I can order clothes from any store in the United States and most of Europe without leaving my living room.  I walk into a grocery store that stocks foods I have never even heard of.  News is available anytime, anywhere with a PDA.  What wonderful developments, what incredible technology! 

Believe me, I am grateful.  But, I have been getting the feeling that there is just a little too much.  Too much to think about… too much to care about… too many causes to get in, over, around and behind.  Does it ever make your brain hurt? 

That "brain pain" sparked my commitment to refocus.  I took a break mentally and stepped back.  We are all here for a purpose, and I have been reevaluating mine.  I looked for patterns in my activities, my reading, my "electronic interests" (TV, internet, blogs, eZines), my conversations, etc.  I found that most of what I value falls into primary categories – in no particular order: productivity, family life, and the importance of academic and character growth for today’s youth.  Do I have more interests than these?  Yes.  However, at least 85% of what I feel called toward falls into one of these categories.

Productivity – I have said this before, and I will say it again.  I love paper.  I love calendars.  I love notebooks and planners and office supply stores.  I love making lists and lists of lists.  Don’t ask me why, but it’s in my blood.  (You can ask my mother, who provided me – at the ripe old age of 5 – with stacks of old office paper.)  My bookshelves are stocked with books written by David Allen (Getting Things Done) and Julie Morgenstern.  Steven Covey is an old standby, as is Jack Canfield (The Power of Focus).  Organizing is therapuetic for me.  The more I absorb effective productivity techniques into my own life, the more I want to share that peace of mind and home with others.  Full disclosure:  I am not perfectly organized, I simply strive for what I can and enjoy the process:-)

Family Life – If you had asked me 15 years ago if I would leave a successful career to stay home with my kids, I would have politely looked at you as if you were one stick short of a matchbook.  Now, though, I am amazed that God has actually trusted me with these little people.  My husband and I both have found that we have put up some cushioning between our nuclear family and the rest of the world.  Our time together gets more precious each day, and we know that these times won’t last forever.  When our nest is empty, we’ll probably be more accessible.  For now, we have our hands full with the teaching and training and bike rides and boo-boos.

Education – Again, when I was in the corporate world, the value of education was not even on my radar.  Between my time teaching at the university, researching academic options and teaching my own kids, I now find little else that weighs so heavily on my mind and heart.  I feel as though I haven’t enough years left (and I am not exactly pushing up daisies yet) to make a positive impact on how we educate our children.  I want every parent in this country to recognize that character and academics are the true goals of education.  I want every adult to recognize that kids are capable of SO MUCH more than we expect of them in 2008.  They have huge brains and huge hearts, and it is up to US to train them how to use them best.

Doing this exercise – this breaking down of my life into main categories – I found something incredibly valuable… my focus.  When I looked at where my passions reside, I found my mission.  I am aligning my efforts to focus in on 1) Guarding our values as a family to train our little boys to become strong, true men of integrity… just like their daddy,  2) Helping other moms create their own life of peace and value, and 3) Using my experience and energy to inspire passion for knowledge and wisdom in every young person I meet.

I feel recharged and reenergized.  I know now how to guage what invitations to accept, which committees to serve on, and which commitments to add to my calendar.  I now have a yardstick.  By choosing activities that hone in on my mission, more of what I do will be effective.  Even my writing.  Although I missed you all while I was gone, I think you are going to find that this blog community will grow even tighter and more close-knit as we move forward.  I encourage you to think over where your heart is and what it is pointing you toward.  By using that as a starting point, you too can narrow your focus and widen your effectiveness.