3 Reasons Why You Should Sing Books with Your Kids!

Did you know that one of the best ways to get your child ready to read is to sing with them? When you pair a book with a song, you up the ante even more! Below are 3 reasons why children’s books you can sing offer a great way to get kids ready to read!

FYI…Don’t even worry if you think you aren’t a great singer. Children do not care if you can’t carry a tune, so sing out! They’ll simply love that you are spending time having fun together.

  1. Singing a book instantly engages a child’s brain. Because music affects multiple regions of the brain, when a child is listening to a book being sung, both hemispheres are working. One side of the brain processes the words while the other processes the music.
  2. Singing books reinforce narrative skills or the ability to retell a story because they are more likely to remember the story. When children actively participate in the telling of the tale rather than passively listen, their level of focused attention is heightened. This is especially true for books that have repeated lines or rhyming words. Attention=retention. End of story:)
  3. Singing teaches children how to break down words into smaller parts. When words are sung, they are naturally broken down into smaller sounds. This is the rhythmic element of language that allows it to pair so well with music. By highlighting each syllable in a word, more focus and awareness is given to it. This experience helps children get ready to read independently teaching them how to break down words into bite-sized pieces.

Books to Sing!

children's books you can sing

So where would one find books that are singable you ask? You’ve come to the right place, because I have that answer!

While many books that have a rhyming pattern work well to add a tune to, it may be difficult to come up with a catchy tune on your own if this is a new concept. That’s where piggyback songs come in.

Now if you aren’t sure what piggy back songs are, check out my blog post here. The great thing about these tunes is you already know many of them so being able to fit in the words of the story into the tune is fairly easy.

Below is a list to get you started. Who knows, maybe after singing a few of these books, you’ll find yourself writing one of your own! That’s actually just what I did when I taught the butterfly life cycle.

I figured out what I wanted the book to include content wise, then I chose a familiar song and wrote the words to both rhyme and fit into the rhythm of the song! Be sure to get a FREE copy of the “Butterfly Life Cycle” book by clicking here!. I set it to the tune of “Up On the Housetop”.

If you have a favorite book set to a song, be sure to comment below so we can add it to the list!

Books set to piggyback songs:

5 Little Fishies in the Sea

Did you know that songs are fantastic for teaching skills across the curriculum? The song I have for you today is no exception!

“Five Little Fishies in the Sea” is a home run, but at first glance one might not see all the learning packed into this little fingerplay. There’s rhyming, fine motor skills, one to one correspondence, vocabulary and basic subtraction just to name a few!

I’m showing the same activity in two different formats. I call it “Fish Two Ways” on my menu:) Ready to see it?!? Click on the first video, that’s “A”. Then click on the second video, that’s “B”. Once you’ve watched them both, comment below on which one you liked best. Then don’t forget to score the activity pack below so you can teach it to your little school of fish! It’s got the visuals, activity guide and the audio download so you’ll be ready to teach right away!

A. Five Little Fishies Finger Play

B. Five Little Fishies Book

Ok, voting time! Which one did you like best?

Beautiful Bird Listening Game – a pre literacy game!

 

Birds are all around us and they have something to say! Just listen for a minute as you play in the backyard or take a walk in the forest and it won’t be long before you’ll hear a bird’s beautiful song.

Because each species of bird has its own unique song, you can identify a bird without ever laying eyes on it!

This makes “birding” a great way to not only explore the outdoors, but also build listening and focus skills as well as phonemic awareness. Yep, I just mentioned a pre-reading skill that birding can foster, phonemic awareness!

Phonemic awareness is the ability to notice, think about, and work with the individual sounds found in words. It is a critical skill for children to master on their journey to becoming readers.  To build this skill, children need countless opportunities to strengthen their listening and attention muscles.

Try this activity in your classroom! Check out all you’ll need in our store to teach Beautiful, Bountiful Birds today.

Let’s Meet the Birds!

This bird listening game is the perfect pre literacy activity because in order to correctly name the bird by its song, the listener must focus only on that sound and listen to the unique qualities that make up that sound. Hey, that’s just like sounds in our alphabet!

If you are ready to strengthen your child’s listening skills and get them ready to read, check out the activity pack below and add this fun pre literacy game into your next circle time!

Sing-along Songs All About Food

This week we are learning all about food, yum!

Kids love this theme because it is so meaningful. And when a topic is meaningful, they make connections.

To make it extra fun, I used a chef puppet to introduce many of the songs. This was a great way to capture their attention as they couldn’t wait to hear what my chef had to say!

Check out a few of my activities below. Then download the activities (along with links to the recordings) for your next food themed circle time!

Sing-Along Songs All About Space

Looking up at the night sky, it’s hard not to miss the moon and the stars. And what about all those planets? If you and your little ones are ready to blast off, then join me in the space-themed sing-along.