It is unsettling to watch a child struggle to learn information presented at school but, at the same time, easily remember the lyrics of a song or the correct combination of buttons to push on a video game to get the desired effect.

I’ve seen this happen with children in my own family and the family of others and can’t help but wonder why this happens.

The obvious answer is that children retain information connected to things that interest them. If they see family members reciting the lyrics of a song with enthusiasm, it’s natural for the child to want to do the same.

The same thing applies to video games. If children witness an older sibling playing a particular game, the child will become interested in learning to play it as well.

The problem is that knowing the lyrics of their favorite song and how to play their favorite video game will not necessarily help them in school.

There has to be a balance between playtime and learning time.

This is not to say that music and video games cannot be used to help a child learn.

Since 1976, V-Tech has been creating educational games for children ranging in age from 6 months to 8 years. These are the games a child should play as opposed to Grand Theft Auto or Madden NFL 2011.

A plethora of educational music can also be used to teach a child.

Unfortunately, in our society, school and learning in general are often viewed as boring and something forced on children by their parents.

Even at a young age, a child begins to view learning as something forced upon them by adults and may begin to resent it.

There is nothing wrong with letting a child listen to mainstream music or play video games such as Madden.

But if they are allowed to and are capable of doing these things, there is no reason for them not to retain the information they are taught in the classroom.