Music and Reading Skills

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As the young child matures, so does language, and the vocabulary expands as reading becomes a natural extension of language. We sometimes find the paradox of a child who ostensibly cannot read words but who can “read” music and respond to familiar words and melodies. Music is an excellent way to explore words and the concept of print. As “children listen and sing, they begin to realize that the print has meaning, and that there are similarities within the print, and the meaning (Fisher and McDonald, 2001).

Feierabend, Saunders, Getnick, Holahan (1998) report that there is “evidence to suggest that listening to songs repeatedly over an extended period of time contributes to an integration in long-term memory of words and music among preschool children” (p. 358). Researchers theorize that perhaps it is the multisensory approach—through movement, eyes, ears, and body coordination— coupled with the improvement in self-concept that makes the difference. It is the whole child who learns! Both reading and making music call for concentration, memory, and understanding of abstract concepts, and both are skills children prize and know are highly valued. It is the wise teacher who capitalizes on opportunities to spark reading.

To begin, we can set nursery rhymes or simple poetry to music, or place them in simple chants or choral verse. Country songs, ballads, pop tunes, and even carefully selected commercials are legitimate when reading enjoyment and skill are the goal. Words have meanings; words open doors; words have power; words are personal; words are humorous; words tell us what we are. Words are ribbons of the future, and words set to music lead us there.

From nursery rhymes and simple poems we might progress to jingles, fingerplays, short prose stories, chant stories, jump-rope chants, and even haiku, which might use music as accompaniment. Or we might select a favorite tune of the children and fit original lines to that tune. It is rhythm, fluency, and attention-holding activity we seek to build. Whatever the ability of the child, participation is guaranteed. It is the rare adult who can resist the combinations described, and sharing enjoyment with children brings an added dimension to our participation. The following two chants focus on things children like to eat and children’s birthdays. Change the words to include what your children think is best of all and insert the age of the children in your classroom into “Me.”

Best of All

Lollipops and gum drops,
Choc’lets, bubble gum.
Lemon drops and licorice,
Oh, yum, yum!

Lollipops and ice cream,
Choc’let cake and pie,
Butterscotch, vanilla,
Oh, yum, yum!

Choc’let chips and M&Ms,
Gum balls, big and small,
Jello, pudding, sundaes, rolls,
Oh, I love them all!

Me

Today’s my birthday;
I am four;
Growing bigger, too;
Cake and ice cream, gifts, and toys.
How old are you?

Today’s my birthday;
I am five;
Growing taller, too;
Cookies, ice cream, cars, and boats.
How old are you?

Today’s my birthday;
I am six;
Growing stronger, too;
Ice cream, chocolate, books and school.
How old are you?

All teachers and caregivers of young children need a well-stocked shelf of easy books, poetry, choral verse, and jingles. From these, they can choose selections to support vocabulary activities throughout the day, emphasizing the importance of the interrelationship of music, language, and reading in the daily life of the child. Reading skills are extended by simply learning a new song. Rote memorization, proper inflection, accenting, and syllabication are strengthened. As Lapp and Flood (1983) indicate, for syllabication in particular, children can clap the beat of a song, separating the words into correct syllables, then sing part of the song, leaving out certain syllables, words, or phrases. DeMicco and Dean (2002); Fisher and McDonald (2001); Moravcik (2000); Hildebrandt (1998) emphasize the importance of the interrelationship of music, language, and reading in the daily life of the child. McGirr (1994/1995) encourages teachers to remember that music and language are related modes of communication that share a number of characteristics. She writes:

The music in language and the language in music support each other and young children’s learning. Weaving language and music activities together through the use of quality children’s literature provides an integrated, natural setting for meaningful learning. Language and music concepts develop simultaneously, along with creativity, imagination and critical thinking skills (p. 76).

Remember that recordings, tapes, jingles, and the like cannot take the place of an adult who enjoys both reading and music and displays this enjoyment to children. Children want to be like the primary adult in their lives. If that adult reads, sings, and is enthusiastic about these activities, the mood and example are contagious.

ESL and Non-English-Speaking Children

Sholtys (1989) offers valuable resources for teachers of non-English-speaking children. For example, to extend reading and language skills, the song “Jingle Bells” could lead to winter words, winter pictures, and winter poems about icicles, evergreens, snowmobliles, and more. He also suggests compiling a list of sound words such as bang, boom, ring, buzz, rap, zoom, knock, clip-clap, and tick-tock, all of which would be contributed by children. These sound words can also be coupled with instruments that make similar sounds.

Big Music Books

Another valuable resource available to teachers and children are Big Music Books. There are many delightful Big Music Books that are appropriate for young children and that will help you incorporate the concept of print into your music program. The following are excellent:

• Kovalsky, M. (1987). The wheels on the bus. New York: The Trumpet Club.
• Peek, M. (1985). Mary wore her red dress and Henry wore his green sneakers. New York: The Trumpet Club.
• Sweet, M. (1992). Fiddle-i-fee: A farmyard song for the very young. New York: The Trumpet Club.
• Weiss, N. (1987). If you’re happy and your know it. New York: Greenwillow.
• Wescott, N. B. (1989). Skip to my Lou. New York: The Trumpet Club.

Early childhood educators who wish to create a stimulating and challenging environment for young children must include many opportunities for children to be thoroughly engaged in music and literacy activities. You will discover that music and reading are mutually supportive and beneficial to the learner. Imagination and creativity establish the bridge between the realms of music and reading.