Did you know that music is one of the best ways you can help your beginning reader? Seriously, this is a thing! I know, I know. We hear all the research based facts. We know music is good for developing brains. But really, what’s it all about? Read on to find out!
Did you know that playing music is one of the only ways you can use BOTH sides of the brain at the same time? Let’s think about this logically. When a person reads the music, they are using the 
left side of their brain to read the notes and symbols and make logical sense of the music. At the same time, the right side of their brain is feeling the emotions and feelings connected to the music. The brain is performing a magical, musical duet! Find out more about this special magic that music performs here
Ok this makes sense, right? But how does it connect to what we’re talking about? Well, music also benefits the brain in many other ways. Let’s check out some of the big ones!
- Music helps improve phonological awareness. Yes, I know…what’s that?? It’s teacher language for listening to new words and being able to hear and say the sounds. As language learners, young children need to first hear and speak the sounds before they can connect them to meaning. This important step happens before kiddos can sound out the words as they read. It’s how people use sounds for rhyming, changing endings, and changing the order of sounds. Find out more here.
- Music can helps tiny readers break words into syllables. First, as previously discussed, music helps little ones hear the sounds. Next, you can actually use music to help them understand and hear how to break words into syllables. There are 2 ways to do this.
- Use instruments, and play each syllable separately. For example, play your drum on each syllable of the word, CON-CERT.
- Sing each syllable, putting different emphasis on each part of the word.
- Music can help little readers increase their vocabulary and really connect with new words. After you have read a story once for enjoyment, do another walk through the story, stopping when you think little ones might not know a word.
- Music help improve rhyming skills. I mean, how many songs to you know that rhyme?? It’s actually difficult to think of songs that DON’T rhyme. Beginning readers struggle with the ability to recognize rhyming sounds and ending sounds that are the same. Rhyming is important for little readers because it teaches them how sounds work within the language, and it helps them understand the rhythm involved in speaking the language. Here are some ways to increase that musical help:
- Sing any simple song that rhymes with little ones.
- Sing the song again and stop at the next rhyming word. See if little ones can predict the next rhyming word.
- Sing the song again, and stop before the next rhyming word. See if little ones can replace that word with a new rhyming word.
Want to find out more? Simple connect with me by email at morethanmusic83@gmail.com, check out my Facebook page at https://facebook.com/storiesthatsingandmore, or find me on Instagram at https://instagram.com/storiesthatsing4u.