ENHANCING MEMORY PROCESSES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH MUSICAL ACTIVITIES: A DESCRIPTIVE SURVEY OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS

Authors

  • Marianna Theodoropoulou Department of Pre-School Education & Educational Design School of Humanities, University of the Aegean, Greece
  • Maria Argyriou Department of Pre-School Education & Educational Design School of Humanities, University of the Aegean, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i4.6611

Keywords:

music education, memory processes, early childhood education, musical activities, cognitive development

Abstract

This study investigates the role of musical activities in enhancing memory processes in early childhood education. More specifically, it examines preschool teachers’ perceptions of how specific musical activity factors, such as rhythm, melody, repetition, imitation, synchronisation, verbal flow, emotional engagement, and multisensory experience, may contribute to the development of memory and broader cognitive functioning in preschool children. The study is grounded in theoretical perspectives on memory processes, including encoding, retrieval, and consolidation, as well as in interdisciplinary research on music, cognition, and early childhood learning. The research adopts an exploratory descriptive survey design in order to examine educators’ views on the pedagogical value of music-based activities in preschool settings. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to preschool teachers. The sample consisted of eleven educators of different age groups, levels of teaching experience, and professional backgrounds (N = 11). Data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods (frequencies and percentages). Findings indicate that music-based activities are widely perceived as valuable pedagogical tools for supporting children’s memory processes. In particular, repetition, movement-based synchronisation, emotional engagement, and multisensory involvement were identified as important factors contributing to memory enhancement. Participants also reported that musical activities may support children’s attention, participation, and broader cognitive development. Overall, the study suggests that musical activities can play a meaningful role in early childhood education by creating engaging and developmentally appropriate learning environments that support memory, attention, and cognitive growth. Findings also highlight the need for further research involving larger samples and direct observation of children’s learning outcomes.

Author Biographies

  • Marianna Theodoropoulou, Department of Pre-School Education & Educational Design School of Humanities, University of the Aegean, Greece

    Marianna Theodoropoulou is a preschool teacher. Her academic and professional interests focus on preschool pedagogy, particularly on the relationship between early learning environments, brain development, and young children’s cognitive processes. She is especially interested in how educational practices, such as music and multisensory activities, can support memory, attention, and overall cognitive development during the early years.

  • Maria Argyriou, Department of Pre-School Education & Educational Design School of Humanities, University of the Aegean, Greece

    Maria Argyriou (Post-doc, PhD) serves as Laboratory Teaching Staff in Applied Music Pedagogy at the Department of Preschool Education and Educational Design, School of Humanities, University of the Aegean (Rhodes, Greece). She holds a PhD in Cultural Policy and Music Education from the Department of Music Studies at the Ionian University, as well as a Master’s degree in Education from the Hellenic Open University and a second Master’s in Educational Leadership and School Unit Evaluation. She is Co-Editor of the open-access journal Hellenic Journal of Music, Education, and Culture (http://hejmec.eu/journal/index.php/HeJMEC), and Editor of the music pedagogical open journal “Music in the First Grade” (http://mspv.aegean.gr/), Aegean University Editions.

References

Anvari, S. H., Trainor, L. J., Woodside, J., & Levy, B. A. (2002). Relations among musical skills, phonological processing, and early reading ability in preschool children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 83(2), 111–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-0965(02)00124-8

Argyriou, M. (2025). The impact of action songs on gross motor skill development in preschool children: A Greek kindergarten case study. International Journal of Education (IJE), 13(1), 53–69. https://doi.org/10.5121/ije.2025.13105

Atkinson, R. C., & Shiffrin, R. M. (1968). Human memory: A proposed system and its control processes. In K. W. Spence & J. T. Spence (Eds.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory (Vol. 2, pp. 89–195). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0079-7421(08)60422-3

Atkinson, R. C., Brelsford, J. W., & Shiffrin, R. M. (1967). Multiprocess models for memory with applications to a continuous presentation task. Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 4(2), 277–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-2496(67)90053-3

Baddeley, A. (2000). The episodic buffer: A new component of working memory? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 4(11), 417–423. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01538-2

Baddeley, A. (1992). Working memory. Science, 255(5044), 556–559. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1736359

Bayanova, L, Chichinina, E., & Aslanova, M. (2024). The association between music training and executive function in6–7-year-old children. Front. Educ. 9, 1333580. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1333580

Belfi, A. M., & Jakubowski, K. (2021). Music and memory. In M. H. Thaut & V. Hoemberg (Eds.), Handbook of neurologic music therapy (pp. 221–236). Oxford University Press.

Bellezza, F. S. (1981). Mnemonic devices: Classification, characteristics, and criteria. Review of Educational Research, 51(2), 247–275. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543051002247

Benítez, M. A., Díaz Abrahan, V., Shifres, F., & Justel, N. (2024). The effect of active and receptive musical training on emotional memory in preschoolers. Psykhe, 33, e54065. https://doi.org/10.7764/psykhe.2022.54065

Bower, G. H. (1970). Analysis of a mnemonic device. American Scientist, 58(5), 496–510. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234518390_Analysis_of_a_Mnemonic_Device

Brower, C. (1993). Memory and the perception of musical structure. Music Theory Spectrum, 15(2), 149–162. https://doi.org/10.2307/745907

Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved from https://arunodayauniversity.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Social-Research-Methods-4th-Edition-Bryman.pdf

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education (8th ed.). Routledge. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/44824604_Research_Methods_in_Education

Craik, F. I. M., & Lockhart, R. S. (1972). Levels of processing: A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11(6), 671–684. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5371(72)80001-X

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Research_Design.html?id=335ZDwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

Del Barrio, L., & Arús, E. (2024). Music and movement pedagogy in basic education: A systematic review. Frontiers in Education, 9(1403745). https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1403745

Gathercole, S. E., & Pickering, S. J. (2000). Working memory deficits in children with low achievements in the national curriculum at 7 years of age. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 70(2), 177–194. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709900158047

Goldstein, E. B. (2018). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research, and everyday experience (5th ed.). Cengage Learning. Retrieved from https://faculty.cengage.com/works/9781337408271

Goswami, U. (2010). The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of childhood cognitive development (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444325485

Habibi, A., Damasio, A., Ilari, B., Veiga, R., Joshi, A. A., & Leahy, R. M. (2022). Childhood music training induces change in micro and macroscopic brain structure: Results from a longitudinal study. Cerebral Cortex, 32(3), 564–578. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhx286

Hallam, S. (2010). The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people. International Journal of Music Education, 28(3), 269–289. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761410370658

Hannon, E. E., & Trainor, L. J. (2007). Music acquisition: Effects of enculturation and formal training on development. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 11(11), 466–472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2007.08.008

Hargreaves, D. J. (1986). The developmental psychology of music. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511521225

Herholz, S. C., & Zatorre, R. J. (2012). Musical training as a framework for brain plasticity: Behavior, function, and structure. Neuron, 76(3), 486–502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2012.10.011

Hyde, K. L., Lerch, J., Norton, A., Forgeard, M., Winner, E., Evans, A., & Schlaug, G. (2009). Musical training shapes structural brain development. Journal of Neuroscience, 29(10), 3019–3025. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5118-08.2009

Immordino-Yang, M. H., & Damasio, A. (2007). We feel, therefore we learn: The relevance of affective and social neuroscience to education. Mind, Brain, and Education, 1(1), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-228X.2007.00004.x

Jäncke, L. (2019). Music and memory. In M. H. Thaut & D. A. Hodges (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of music and the brain (pp. 237–262). Oxford University Press.

Knott, D., & Thaut, M. H. (2018). Musical mnemonics enhance verbal memory in typically developing children. Frontiers in Education, 3(31). https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2018.00031

Koelsch, S. (2011). Toward a neural basis of music perception—A review and updated model. Frontiers in Psychology, 2(110). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00110

Kolb, B., & Whishaw, I. Q. (1998). Brain plasticity and behavior. Annual Review of Psychology, 49, 43–64. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.49.1.43

Lerdahl, F., & Jackendoff, R. (1983). A generative theory of tonal music. MIT Press. Retrieved from https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262620499/a-generative-theory-of-tonal-music/

Li, Q., Wang, X., Wang, S., Xie, Y., Li, X., Xie, Y., & Li, S. (2018). Musical training induces functional and structural auditory-motor network plasticity in young adults. Human Brain Mapping, 39(5), 2098–2110. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.23989

Lightfoot, C., Cole, M., & Cole, S. (2015). The development of children (7th ed.). Worth Publishers. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/The_Development_of_Children.html?id=IEFIilUc5ugC&redir_esc=y

Lu, Y., Shi, L., & Musib, A. F. (2025). Effects of music training on executive functions in preschool children aged 3–6 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 15(1522962). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1522962

McGaugh, J. L. (2015). Consolidating memories. Annual Review of Psychology, 66, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-014954

Meyer, L. B. (1956). Emotion and meaning in music. University of Chicago Press. Retrieved from https://tamikothiel.com/ntu/ref/EmotionMeaningMusic.pdf

Olszewska, A. M., Gaca, M., Herman, A. M., Jednoróg, K., & Marchewka, A. (2021). How musical training shapes the adult brain: Predispositions and neuroplasticity. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15, 630829. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.630829

Patel, A. D. (2008). Music, language, and the brain. Oxford University Press. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/book/10227

Peretz, I., & Zatorre, R. J. (2003). The cognitive neuroscience of music. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 4(3), 177–190. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1032

Purves, D., Augustine, G. J., Fitzpatrick, D., Hall, W. C., LaMantia, A. S., McNamara, J. O., & White, L. E. (2018). Neuroscience (6th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Schlaug, G., Norton, A., Overy, K., & Winner, E. (2005). Effects of music training on the child’s brain and cognitive development. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1060, 219–230. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1360.015

Shen, Y., Lin, Y., Liu, S., Fang, L., & Liu, G. (2019). Sustained effect of music training on the enhancement of executive function in preschool children. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(1910). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01910

Shams, L., & Seitz, A. (2008). Benefits of multisensory learning. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(11), 411–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2008.07.006

Shapiro, L. (2019). Embodied cognition (2nd Edition). Routledge. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.4324/9781315180380

Stepaniuk, I. (2025). The role of rhythmic and choreographic educational components in the professional training of preschool education students. Scientific Journal of National Pedagogical Dragomanov University. Series 5: Pedagogical Sciences: Realities and Prospects, 8, 119–134. https://doi.org/10.31470/2786-703X-2025-8-119-134

Thaut, M. H., & Hömberg, V. (Eds.). (2016). Handbook of neurologic music therapy (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Handbook_of_Neurologic_Music_Therapy.html?id=5Gb0AwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

Thaut, M. H. (2005). Rhythm, music, and the brain: Scientific foundations and clinical applications. Routledge. Retrieved from https://www.routledge.com/Rhythm-Music-and-the-Brain-Scientific-Foundations-and-Clinical-Applications/Thaut/p/book/9780415964753

Tulving E. (1972). Episodic and Semantic Memory. In E. Tulving, & W. Donaldson (Eds.), Organization of Memory (pp. 381-403). Cambridge, MA: Academic Press. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1973-08477-007

Urbaitė, G. (2025). Learning languages through music and songs: Cognitive, pedagogical, and affective dimensions. Portuni, 1(4). https://doi.org/10.69760/portuni.0104004

Weiss, M. W., Trehub, S. E., Schellenberg, E. G., & Habibi, A. (2021). Musical memory in early childhood. Developmental Science, 24(4), e13020. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187115

Wei, X. (2025). Implementation pathways of music activities based on emotional cultivation in young children. Pupils of Music, 8, 62–64.

Zhang, Y. (2025). An empirical study on enhancing young children's emotional regulation ability through music appreciation activities (Master’s thesis, Jilin International Studies University).

Zou, Z. (2025). Practical pathways for enhancing young children's emotional understanding through thematic music games. Pupils of Music, 11, 98–100.

Zuk, J., Vanderauwera, J., Turesky, T., Yu, X., & Gaab, N. (2023). Neurobiological predispositions for musicality: White matter in infancy predicts school-age music aptitude. Developmental Science, 26(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13365

Downloads

Published

2026-03-24

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 4 (2026)

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).