Musical Differences in Learning-Disabled and Normal-Achieving Readers, Aged Seven, Eight and Nine

In the United States, learning-disabled children have been mainstreamed into general music classes where group instruction predominates without adequate evaluation of possible learning strengths and deficits. Three separate research projects have indicated that learning-disabled readers, aged seven, eight and nine, discriminate rhythm patterns similarly to matched normal- achieving readers but are unable to perform the same patterns in a similar manner. The two reading ability groups also differ at age seven and eight in tonal discrimination. The findings suggest that learning-disabled children may not be able to learn music in a class instructional setting as easily as their age-level peers. These exceptional learners need prior evaluation of input, integration and output capacities before being placed in learning situations where they will be unsuccessful.