Researchers have suggested that song lyrics could provide a source of new vocabulary. Research support
for the hypothesis that songs provide a source of incidental acquisition of vocabulary comes from the field
of second language acquisition. Medina (1993)
A study by Stanford researchers (Gaab et al, 2005) found that musical training improves how the brain
processes the spoken word. Specifically, the research found that musical instruction and experience
helps the brain improve its ability to distinguish between rapidly changing sounds, referred to as
auditory processing. This auditory processing is critical to developing phonemic awareness and
to learning to read successfully. In a study of adult musicians who began playing an instrument by
the age of seven and continued playing into adulthood, it was found through functional magnetic
resonance imaging scanners, or fMRIs, that musicians had more focused, efficient brain activity than
did non-musicians. Researchers stated that this finding may have important implications for improving
reading skills for young children.