The Secret to Sneaking Reading Skills in When You’re Teaching a Song
Do you get stuck when you’re trying to come up with ways to sneak reading skills into your lessons? Yep, I used to get stuck too! Until I realized that EVERY.SINGLE.THING we do in the music classroom connects to what reading teachers do in their classrooms. Legit, everything! We use the same lingo and we focus on many of the same skills. I mean, you don’t have to go any further than songs that rhyme and poetry to see the connection.
Did you know that over 25% of elementary age students are struggling readers? And we can help them, because we see them all! That’s why today I’m going to give you 3 ways to connect with your struggling readers while you are doing something as simple as teaching a song. Are you ready? Hold onto your hat.
- Every song tells a story – we know this, and our kiddos know it too. However, they may not actually connect to that knowledge when they’re in your classroom learning the lyrics to a new song. It may never occur to them. That’s why I remind them every time we are learning lyrics. This is my step-by-step process:
- Play or sing the song for my students just for their listening pleasure.
- Put up the lyrics, and play the song again.
- Instruct your students to listen for the story.
- When the song is over, ask your students to summarize the story (give a brief statement of the main points of the story/song).
- Encourage your students to make connections. This means to let them tell you how this song connects to their own life. Here are some examples:
- Something or someone that the song reminds them of
- Someplace they’ve been.
- An event that’s happened in their lives.
- Point out new or challenging vocabulary. Interacting with new or challenging vocabulary is one of the best ways for students to learn it. As you’re going through the lyrics to a song, highlight words that you think your students may not know. If you’re not sure, you can always ask your students to circle the words they are unfamiliar with. Here is what happens next in this process:
- Tell your student the definition of the word.
- Find a way to help them remember it by:
- Create or allow students to create a movement for the word (for example, you could make up a movement that looks like you are leaping for the word, bound).
- Create a silly voice to say the word in that reflects the definition (for example, you could say the word mongrel in a voice that sounds like you’re barking.
- Use an instrument that sounds like the word (for example, you could use jingle bells for the word tinkle).
- Use the strategy during the rehearsal of the song (for example, play the jingle bells on the word tinkle, or use your barking voice on the word mongrel).
It’s super hard to be a struggling reader. No one wants to watch as everyone but them moves forward and gains new knowledge. I’m sure your heart breaks as you watch those excited kindergarten babies become sullen 3rd graders who are fighting to learn the basic skills that everyone around them finds so easy. You can help. You have the skills and the opportunity. You can change the world for those kiddos.
Check back every Tuesday for more great tips on how to be a world changer for your students! Want more info? There are plenty of opportunities to learn from me! Check out a few below.
Want even more? Here’s how to become a world changing music teacher! Just click on Simply Literacy Skills to find out more.