Music education may support reading when activities are deliberately designed to practice particular literacy skills. The evidence does not show that simply taking music classes reliably raises reading proficiency, nor that music can replace direct reading instruction. The case for keeping music in schools is stronger when both arguments are kept distinct: targeted music can complement literacy teaching, and music belongs in a well-rounded education in its own right.
What does the “reading crisis” claim actually establish?
The U.S. Department of Education said in a September 9, 2026, press release that “nearly 70% of 4th and 8th graders cannot read proficiently.” That is the department’s characterization, but the underlying assessment cycle and the threshold meant by “proficiently” are not established here. The figure should not be treated as interchangeable with other reading statistics unless those details are checked against the relevant score tables.
For context, a separate NCES report on the 2018 NAEP Oral Reading Fluency Study found that 36% of fourth-grade public school students in that study performed below NAEP Basic. That is a specific result from a 2018 study, not a current national statistic and not the same measure as the department’s 2026 statement. A sound argument about schools should be precise about which students, assessment, year, and proficiency benchmark it is discussing.
When can music activities support reading?
The clearest connection in the cited evidence is between music activities designed around a particular reading skill and that skill—not between music participation in general and a broad rise in reading proficiency.
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Activities matched to a reading target
In a 2008 meta-analysis of 30 studies, Jayne M. Standley reported an overall effect size of d = 0.32 for music interventions affecting reading skills. The reported effect was larger when activities matched identified reading skills (d = 0.44) and when contingent music reinforced reading behavior (d = 0.66). Examples described in the abstract include pairing alphabet recognition with phonetic patterns, practicing word segmentation and sound blending, and promoting rapid decoding. These findings concern selected interventions and outcomes across the included studies; they do not establish that an ordinary music class will raise overall reading proficiency.
The meta-analysis also reported greater benefits when special reading activities were added to an existing music education curriculum than when they replaced it. The practical implication is to use music as a supplement to reading instruction, not as a substitute for it.
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General participation and school outcomes
Broader studies offer suggestive but more qualified evidence. A 2019 study using four waves of Early Childhood Longitudinal Study data found that weekly arts instruction minutes, including art and music, positively predicted reading and mathematics achievement and growth from kindergarten through fifth grade. Its child fixed-effects approach accounted for stable characteristics of individual children, but the result remains an association rather than proof that arts instruction caused the gains.
A 2022 national analysis of high-school music course-taking used propensity-score methods with data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. Many initial differences became statistically nonsignificant after weighting. The one unambiguously positive result was higher reading scores among instrumental music students than among comparable students who did not enroll in music. That finding should not be generalized to all ages, music formats, or students.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The Arts Education Partnership’s 2018 brief Music Matters reviews studies describing possible links between music and reading, language arts, engagement, vocabulary, and other outcomes. It is a synthesis of evidence, not a single experiment showing that music universally improves reading.
Why music is not a replacement for literacy instruction
Reading instruction involves several skills, not one. The Institute of Education Sciences’ Reading First evaluation describes five essential components emphasized by that program:
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- Phonemic awareness: noticing and working with the individual sounds in spoken words.
- Phonics: connecting letters and spelling patterns with sounds.
- Vocabulary: understanding the meanings of words.
- Fluency: reading accurately and with appropriate speed and expression.
- Comprehension: understanding and interpreting what is read.
Rhythm, sound, segmentation, and blending can align with some foundational sound-related skills, particularly when activities explicitly target them. But the cited music studies do not show that music instruction supplies the full set of systematic, comprehensive teaching these reading components require. A school should not trade core literacy instruction for music and assume the reading problem is solved.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why music deserves a place even without a test-score promise
Music does not have to prove that it raises reading scores to justify its place in school. In a July 13, 2016, letter to chief state school officers, the U.S. Department of Education discussed a federal definition of “well-rounded education” that includes English, reading or language arts, as well as arts and music. The department wrote: “A holistic education—one that includes social studies, including: history, civics, government, economics, and geography; music and art; world languages; sciences, including: physics, chemistry, computer science, and biology; physical and health education; career and technical education (CTE); and rigorous coursework of all types—allows educators to teach their students in a manner that promotes the promise of learning and provides students with the knowledge necessary to succeed in a complex society.” The letter also says access to a broad range of coursework is essential to an enriched educational experience.
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That is a curricular argument, separate from a claim about reading-test effects. Schools can respond to weak reading outcomes by strengthening evidence-based literacy teaching while preserving access to music and other subjects. Treating the choice as “reading or music” overlooks both the limited evidence for music as a stand-alone reading fix and music’s independent educational value.
Quick Recap
What the evidence supports—and what it does not
| Question | What the evidence supports | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Can targeted music activities help with reading skills? | A 2008 meta-analysis reported positive effects for selected music interventions, with larger effects when activities matched reading targets. | That any music class will improve overall reading proficiency for every student. |
| Are music participation and reading achievement related? | Some observational and adjusted studies report positive associations or a positive result for a specific group of instrumental music students. | That music alone caused those outcomes or that the findings apply across grades and music formats. |
| Should music remain in a school curriculum? | Federal guidance includes music among the subjects of a well-rounded education. | That music must be defended only by showing an immediate increase in reading-test scores. |
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