Tip #144 from 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents (McKInley, Trombly) - Steal the Beat

 

Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly.

                                   #144

Steal the Beat

The brighter you are, the more you have to learn.

~Don Herold

 

From a very young age parents and teachers use song and rhyme to teach children information. From teaching the different sounds animals make in “Old McDonald” to learning the letters of the alphabet in the “Alphabet Song,” children grasp concepts and information easier when it’s presented in rhyme or song or both!

Keep that in mind when you see your child struggling with a difficult task or concept. Try brainstorming with your child a rhyme that might help her spell a certain word or remember a definition. It is usually easiest to utilize a song that everyone is familiar with. Songs such as “Mary had a Little Lamb,” “Row Your Boat” and so forth are so well known that your child need only concentrate on the new lyrics and not the beat of the song. For example, many teachers like to reinforce the stages of the water cycle by singing this song to the tune of “She’ll be Coming Around the Mountain:”

Water travels in a cycle; yes it does.

Water travels in a cycle; yes, it does.

It goes up as evaporation,

Forms clouds as condensation,

Then falls down as precipitation.

Yes, it does!

 

Encourage your child to write the words of the song she creates. This will be especially helpful when using a song to help her remember something long such as a summary of a book. She can add to the song as she remembers more information or change a verse or two around so the information in the song is in the proper sequence.            

Your child will enjoy sharing her finished song with family and friends. Let her teach it to your family, and sing it together! You will be increasing her self-esteem as well as helping her remember the important information in the lyrics.

 

    

     Cindy McKinley Alder                                            Patti Trombly

 

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