Children adore music! From silly songs to classical,
children have the gift to relate to and appreciate a variety of music. Song and
music are not only for entertainment, but additionally for learning. Through
song, children can learn vocabulary, articulation, sentence structure, and
culture.
While there are ample amounts of children’s music, but do
not stop there. Explore a variety of genres, including traditional cultural
music.
Ask your children: What is the song about? What instruments
do you here? Do you like it? Why?
TAKE A LOOK: Alabama Symphony Orchestra http://www.alabamasymphony.org/
The Alabama symphony orchestra, ASO,
is an instrumental performance group, which shares professional classical music
in Birmingham, AL. The ASO is composed of professional instrumentalist. During
the summer, they tend to offer special summer concerts in the park. There is
also an Alabama symphony youth orchestra, ASYO. Check out there schedule to see
what special events are offered all year long!
TAKE A LOOK: PBS Kids Between the Lions- Video Clips http://pbskids.org/lions/videos/
I love the videos offered on this site. Some of the videos
are stories and science/informative videos; however, many of the clips are
songs. Most of the songs are related to language development, either phonics or
language concepts, like homophones. When viewing these videos, ask your child
questions. What is the video about? What did you learn?
TAKE A LOOK: Marsupial Sue by John Lithgow
This is a fabulous book sung by John Lithgow and accompanied
by a classical ensemble. The book discusses the importance of being your self.
Readers are also introduced to animals native to Australia. The book can be
ordered with a CD, which includes the song and classical arrangement. At the
end of the text, the musical score is presented. Share your knowledge about music, or learn together
by searching the Web. What do the different musical notes mean?
TAKE A LOOK: BusSongs.com http://bussongs.com/
BusSongs provides the lyrics of favorite nursery rhymes and children's songs. There are multiple categories, which can help you search the library.
Over 2000 songs are provided on the site. Even if you are unfamiliar with the
tune, iTunes or YouTube could be helpful and even provide exciting graphics. One
of the top rated songs is a personal favorite, “Skip to My Lou,” which has a
famous rendition by Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis. Talk to your children about their favorite
songs!
Zandra, you are right about small children and kids relating to music. I have a special needs young adult son and he loves music. He never tires of listening to something. It surprises people sometimes when they find out he is listening to anything from Manaheim Steamroller, to gospel, to country, to light rock and kids songs. He loves any kind of music. I am surprised at amount of information that he picks up by listening to the music.
ReplyDeleteAs a musician myself, I take delight in anything that has to do with music, especially in the classroom. :) There are so many studies out nowadays that demonstrate the benefits of listening to and participating in music for students. They learn to focus, to collaborate, to manage their time, and to be patient! In my mind, the earlier students start working with music, the better. It makes me so happy that you put such effort into using it with your little ones. :)
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of singing, but the students enjoy it so much that I have to suck it up. Students love to sing songs, and there are so many songs that can teach children. These songs could stick with the students their entire life. Many of my friends sing songs from elementary school. It is a great idea to find new songs to learn and teach students.
ReplyDeleteNaturally, I love your post! Music is invaluable to children of all ages, and the benefits of music education cannot be denied. As I've experienced first-hand, some children who have difficulties in the regular classroom often excel in music. It's so gratifying to see these kids passionate about music. Music is much more than notes on a page or a "program" for the PTA: it's discipline, hard work, team work and creativity all rolled into one. I'm glad you mentioned the book by John Lithgow. One of my favorite children's books, also by Lithgow, is The Remarkable Farkle McBride. It's about a boy who learns many instruments but decides he likes being the conductor best of all. I've enjoyed reading your blog!
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