Hearing and feeling the natural rhythm of a language is an important part of learning to speak and read fluently. The Spelling City website points out that “syllables play an important role in spoken English, in that they greatly influence the rhythm of the language, its poetic meter and its … Continue reading
A couple of years ago, some kindergarten teachers asked me to write a song about word families, and I was happy to oblige. The result was a simple song that keeps being rewritten again and again, by children in PreK through First Grade. Making up verses for this song is … Continue reading
During studies for my master’s degree at Lesley University, I had an opportunity to take a class on early literacy learning with Professor Jean Ciborowsky Fahey. Jean works closely with a group called Reach Out and Read, a non-profit organization that partners with pediatricians’ offices to encourage reading-related activities for … Continue reading
2014 was another super year for my work singing with kids and focusing on early literacy learning. Among the highlights were my new songs for learning about rhyming words: Animal Rhymes and Halloween Rhymes. I hope these songs will soon become part of the music/literacy recordings that I sell through … Continue reading
Here are two rhyming songs that I’ve recently shared in the classroom. I pair a classic nursery song and book, “Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go,” with a song I wrote, “Animal Rhyming Words.” This video shows how I work with the first song. I recommend getting John Langstaff’s book,”Oh, A-Hunting … Continue reading
It’s November! Time to sing about turkey and more. Today, I feature a few songs that I’ve learned from my colleagues. The first is an all-time fave by my Chicago-based pal, “Miss Carole” Stephens. It’s a turkey dance that kids and teachers love. Some love it so much they ask … Continue reading
The traditional song “Today is Monday” has become very popular, thanks in part to Eric Carle’s engaging book by the same name, which has a new food for each day of the week. You can help children learn initial consonant sounds by changing the song to name a food that … Continue reading
I’m currently having fun singing songs that require children to guess a rhyming word at the end of a line, such as my version of “Hey, Dr. Knickerbocker” and Icky Sticky & Ooey Gooey. For Halloween, I suggest making as many scary-creature rhymes as possible in order to keep from … Continue reading
Why are finger plays great learning tools for young children? Finger plays make a body-mind connection. Most utilize music and rhythm, which helps build literacy. Most utilize rhymes, which help with phonological awareness. Many tell a story, and help children learn to organize their thoughts to tell a simple story/narrative … Continue reading
This article first appeared on The Children’s Music Network blog as part of an ongoing series about songwriting with students. There’s a blank white board in front of you. Name your idea – any idea is great. Let’s see how many we can assemble! What a tantalizing invitation, a welcome … Continue reading
