Brain Changers: Music, Movement, and Literacy

I am going to paint a picture… You are an elementary Reading teacher. Many of your students have entered your classroom reading below grade level. Twenty percent of your students speak a language other than English and you have no idea as to how you are going to teach them when ESL is not your specialty. You search for ways to motivate your students into learning, but nothing seems to work consistently. They resort to complaining, “School is boring! I want to go outside for recess!” You know that is not going to happen. Besides, you just let them have recess 30 minutes ago and the Reading lesson is not finished yet. However, it would be nice to do something fun. What do you do? What activities could you utilize that integrate teaching your language learners, struggling readers, and all other learners while doing something the entire class would enjoy?

As a parent this could be a similar scenario. It may not be in the classroom setting, but you may have a child who does not enjoy learning how to read. How can you make the literacy experience fun and engaging for him or her? An answer to the above question is to combine MUSIC and MOVEMENT into your LITERACY experience. Just take a look around you, if students are not singing a song, then many of them are running around the basketball court, playing soccer on the soccer field, wanting to go swimming at the local pools, playing with their friends at the house, or moving is some other manner.

Throughout this week we will be able to read and view strategies that teach us how to integrate music and movement into the home or classroom by simply clicking underneath the Voki to view each video and by reading these blogs. Continue to visit as we learn to teach ALL learners together!

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Summer Homework for Parents and Teachers: Build vocabulary by teaching your child a new song. The song can be in the language of your choice. Provide movement by adding body motions and changing your environment to make the learning experience interesting and enjoyable!