Nine years ago we had a friend from Japan come stay with us for about a month. During our longer drives to show her around our area, we sang songs with our kids (ages 6, 4, and 2 at the time) to keep them occupied and entertained in the car. We often sang nursery rhymes for 30 minutes straight. At one point I apologized to my Japanese friend for all the singing and explained what we were trying to do. She exclaimed, “I am so impressed! I don’t even think I know this many songs!” 

What I thought was just a clever strategy to keep the kids from crying and whining actually turned out to be fantastic preparation for learning to read. Singing together can help our children hop on the fast-track to reading proficiency in three ways. First, the lyrics introduce them to the diverse sounds of our language. The Reading Teacher put it this way:

“Songs, chants, and word-sound games are ideally suited toward developing young children’s sensitivity to the sound structure of language. Word play, nursery or Dr. Seuss rhymes, and general exposure to storybooks contribute to phonemic awareness.”¹

Second, the rhythm of music helps demonstrate fluency (reading a text quickly, accurately, and with expression). Songs follow a certain cadence, which can steer readers away from unnatural pauses and stuttering. Third, the rhyming words reveal patterns and assist children in word prediction. In short, it is enough to spend time singing and reading with our dear little ones. For our older children learning to read independently, we can apply all this knowledge to their benefit! Below are two activities to try with our early readers.

Music & Reading Activity #1

1. Write down the lyrics to your child’s favorite song on index cards (one word per card). 
2. Sing them aloud slowly together while pointing to the corresponding words. 
3. See if your child can point to the words and sing the song on their own. (If not, keep practicing until they can.) 
4. Mix up the lyrics, then have your child either point to the right words or arrange them correctly while singing the song.
5. Continue this activity until your child can do it swiftly and without any help.

Music & Reading Activity #2

Another simple way to utilize music while helping your child learn to read is to look at picture books that are set to song. If you aren’t familiar with any of these, here is a sampling of ones we have enjoyed in our house or in our car. Many more titles can be found online or through your library. Be sure to look up the songs on YouTube if you don’t know the melody!

Reading and singing combine two separate art forms (literature and music) and two different senses (sight and sound). The result of this is a more lasting, impactful learning experience. If your child needs a bit of extra help learning to read, adding a melody may just be the key to unlocking their literacy potential. What is your child’s favorite sing-along book?

¹ Supporting Phonemic Awareness Development in the Classroom by Yopp & Yopp (The Reading Teacher; Vol. 54, No. 2)

Image Credit – Robert Collins