Singing can be such fun! When was the last time that you sang in the shower? Or with your children? Did you know that singing is a wonderful way to help your younger children develop good reading skills?
In an article on www.scholastic.com, Dr. Susan Canizares writes about how important singing songs is to a child’s development of good reading skills. Some of this information may surprise you, but it certainly makes a lot of sense. Dr. Canizares writes that for younger children, songs are spoken and heard. What is involved is the skill of phonics - meaning that letters have sounds.
As we speak, the child learns sounds and how to pronounce words. Since most songs rhyme, children can play with making up words that rhyme and sing them. It doesn’t matter how silly the songs may be or whether the words are actual words or not. The important point is that they are listening and speaking and working with letters and sounds.
Add to that using thinking skills as well. The child is listening and thinking about the words to the song.
Also involved is learning new words. Continue to sing “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” When your child asks you what a “waterspout” is – that is another teaching opportunity. What about “Mary Had a Little Lamb”? Sing the song and then explain to your child what “fleece” means. I’m sure that your child will have an idea of the definition if the child knows what a lamb looks like. Before long, your child will have many new words in his/her vocabulary.
Read Dr. Canizares’ entire article by CLICKING HERE.