Boosting Language Processing with Song
By Adithi Ramakrishnan
In "Boosting Language Processing with Song," Adithi Ramakrishnan explores the science behind why you may still have Dory’s sing-song ‘Just Keep Swimming’ stuck in your head, while the steps of the Krebs Cycle have long since left your mind. The article on new research indicating that song could better help students with language-processing disorders learn than speech alone shines as an excellent example of science reporting. Ramakrishnan deftly moves from the details of the neurological study to stories of experts using the concepts in the classroom. This is evident in Ramakrishnan’s ability to hook the reader’s attention and carry us like a current through her story. Our judges write: “[Ramakrishnan] shows a good understanding of story structure.”
Adithi Ramakrishnan is a neuroscience major and creative writing minor at the College of William and Mary. She is a Pulitzer Center Student Fellow, executive editor at her college newspaper, The Flat Hat, and a contributor to Massive Science. Email her at aramakrishnan@email.wm.edu
Ramakrishnan’s mentor was NASW member and volunteer Jodi Frank, a freelance writer and editor specializing in science, technology, education, business and entrepreneurship and based in New York.
Hero image credit: U.S. Department of Education
