Isn’t singing fun! As I enjoyed your families this week, I was reminded how naturally children and music fit together. Listening to your “whoo-whooo” train sounds with “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” and singing like cuckoos and chickadees to “Birds’ Chorus” were my two highlights of this week’s lesson.
“Singing is related to the ability to control speech fluctuations, and speech activities appear to help develop tuneful singing skills. Playing with rhythmic speech (poems, rhymes, etc.) as well as simple tonal melodies help children develop both singing and speech skills.” Quote taken from: McDonald, Dorothy T., and Gene M. Simons. Musical Growth and Development: Birth through Six. New York: Schirmer Books, 1988.
Your voice can be a strong parenting tool. Here are a few ideas to take home:
- Need to get your children’s attention? Try whispering. The sudden contrast between your speaking voice and whispering voice will interest their ears. If they respond with a whisper, enjoy a whisper conversation!
- Sing your way from playtime to wash-up. Change the words of a familiar song to make an otherwise dreaded time into a pleasant experience! (Example: Tune-“Row, Row, Row Your Boat”; “Wash, wash, wash your hands; Make them squeaky clean! Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily; life is but a dream!”)
I’m also posting a video of a chickadee feeding its’ young. I hope the children enjoy it.
See you next week!