Integrating Music into Language Arts

by: Kayla Jordan, Melanie Poirier, Megan McBrine, Julia Sharun, Michael Doran &

Kelsey Redmond

OutlineThe Importance of Integrating Music

Start of Class / TransitionsActivity: Howard B Wigglebottom

Activity: Have fun Teaching

Mini LessonsActivity: We Love to Spell

Activity: Listen & Write

Reading & PoetryActivity: Teaching Tempo

Activity: Expanding Music

Conclusion

References

The Importance of Music Integration

Student Engagement

Music “levels the playing field” in a classroom, because it invites participation from children on different learning levels. Music invites everyone to join in. (Harrington, J., & Berke, M.)

Cross-curricular

Music in the Language Arts Classroom

Start of Class / Transitions

Importance of engagement from the beginning of class

Transition:The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.

Integrating Language Arts & Music into The Start and Transitions in the Classroom

Activity: Howard B WiggleBottom

DescriptionSong to get students up and moving

Catchy song lyrics to keep students engaged

How would you use it?:When students are inattentive, wiggling in their seats

Transition from one activity to the next

Opening the class

Link: http://wedolisten.org http://wedolisten.org/media/songs.html

Activity: Have Fun Teaching- Alphabet

VideosDescription: A collection of upbeat, catchy videos that each focus on a certain letter of the alphabet

The videos use repetition to teach the students the sounds the letters make

They also introduce the students to words beginning with the sounds, so they can learn by association

How would you use it?:These videos would be an effective way to introduce new letters to students in K-1

One to two new letters would be worked on at a time

The students can sing and dance along to the catchy songs, engaging them in the activity and enhancing their chances of remembering what they are being taught

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1orYZAoGgoQ

Mini Lesson

Short, concise lessons

Focus: teaching procedure, behaviour or strategy

Based on needs of the group

Clear demonstrations

“Songs, chants, poems, and raps will improve memory of content facts and details through rhyme, rhythm, and melody. Teaching these to students or having them write their own is a terrific memory too” (Brewer, 1995)

Activity: We Love to Spell (Song)

Description: Song is sung to the tune of “if you’re happy and you know it”

It involves involves students getting up and moving around

Helps students with learning how to spell through the use of music and repetition

How would you use it?: As a mini lesson to get students engaged in practicing their spelling

An effective way to add new words to the words wall

Practice for the words that are already on the word wall

Activity: Listen and Write

Description: Using music as a writing prompt to inspire a story from children

Music-instrumental is preferred- is played in the background, and the children write as the music is on.

 How would you use it?: Music can be used as a writing prompt.

Can be used to work on written and oral skills at all levels.

Children use their imaginations to come up with a story for the music, which can then be shared with the class.

Music is easily adjustable, as the teacher chooses the mood which will set the tone for the type of writing the students will do.

Reading & Poetry

Researchers believe that music compliments reading instruction because language, especially that of children, has rhythm and melody.” (Harrington, J., & Berke, M.)

Children should be encouraged to notice how words and music connect, and be stimulated to combine them through their own creative explorations (Campbell, P., & Scott-Kassner, C)

Activity: Teaching Tempo

Description:Using music tempo to teach proper reading tempo

All students are involved in the singing activity, tempo controlled by teacher (can be student controlled)

Link:http://www.songsforteaching.net/keeping-childrens-attention-music-changing-tempo

Soft Kitty Lyrics!

Soft kitty, warm kitty

Little ball of fur

Happy kitty, sleepy kitty

Purr, purr, purr

Continued…

How would you use it?:Students learn to pace their reading for themselves and their audience

As a classroom management technique - tempo sets the mood

As a brain-break

As part of a creative project

Continued…

“One surefire way to keep a child's attention during a song is to constantly change the tempo of that song” - Rachel Rambach  

“The most effective learning occurs when activities employing psychomotor, affective, and cognitive modes are freely intermingled. These modes, all characteristic of classroom music experiences, enable these experiences to be channeled to almost any educational objective.” - Dr. Al Balkin, Motivating Literacy in the Music Classroom, Tune Up To Literacy 2005.

Activity: Expanding Music

Description: Students will create their own stories based based off  their choice of childhood song/nursery rhyme, ex: twinkle twinkle little star.

How would you use it?: Students will create their own stories based off of their choice of childhood song/nursery rhyme, ex: twinkle twinkle little star.

Conclusion

Music integration can happen in many ways

Activities:Start of Class / Transitions

Mini-lessons

Reading & Poetry

Cross-Curricular Connections

Student Engagement

ReferencesBrewer, Chris. (1995). Music and Learning: Integrating Music in the Classroom. Music and Learning. Retrieved From: http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/strategies/topics/Arts%20in%20Education/brewer.htm- Campbell, Patricia, Scott-Kassner, Carol. (2010). Music in Childhood: From Preschool through the Elementary Grades. Boston: Schirmer CENGAGE LearningDr. Al Balkin, Motivating Literacy in the Music Classroom, Tune Up To Literacy 2005.Fisher, Douglas. (2001). Early Language Learning With and Without Music.  Reading Horizons, 42 (1.8) pp.40-48.Harrington, J., & Berke, M. (2005). Sing Me a Story. Book Links, 14(6), 14-16.Rambach, Rachel Retrieved From:http://www.songsforteaching.net/keeping-childrens-attention-music-changing-tempoHelpful links:

http://wedolisten.org/media/songs.htmlhttp://www.gcisd-k12.org/cms/lib4/TX01000829/.../61/Mini-Lessons.dochttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1orYZAoGgoQ http://www.dictionary.com

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