While children come into the world ready to decode sounds and words, music education helps enhance those natural abilities. Growing up in a musically rich environment is often advantageous for children’s language development. According to Nina Kraus, director of Northwestern’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, researchers found that after two years, children who regularly attend music classes are actively participating in class. They also found that these children show larger improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading skills than less-involved peers.