Music Teacher Magazine meets Anita Collins

Anita was delighted to chat with the Music Teacher Magazine team about the new BeatRead Insights tool and the growing interest in how music learning supports literacy. Drawing on neuroscience, she shared how rhythm, timing and beat synchronisation are not just musical skills, they activate the same brain networks used for speech and reading development.

This connection is what makes BeatRead Insights such a powerful and practical resource for educators. The tool helps teachers identify early indicators of reading difficulty through simple rhythmic activities, making it easier to support learners before challenges become entrenched.

For music educators working in classrooms, studios or school ensembles, this opens up new possibilities. Could rhythmic warm ups offer clues about a student’s reading readiness? How might music teachers collaborate more closely with classroom or literacy specialists? BeatRead Insights encourages us to see music not as an add on, but as an integral part of whole child learning, strengthening both musical and literacy outcomes across educational settings.