If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that combining songs with stories is at the heart of the lessons I plan for my students and the resources I create! Integrating music into literacy instruction helps build phonemic awareness and reading fluency skills in all ages of readers! It is also loads of FUN!
In my thirty-three years as an advocate for blending music, movement, and literature across the curriculum, I have had many teachers tell me....
I just smile and say...
They then try to counter with.....
HOW TO INTEGRATE MUSIC INTO YOUR
In my thirty-three years as an advocate for blending music, movement, and literature across the curriculum, I have had many teachers tell me....
"Oh I can't carry a tune! I can't include songs or chants in my teaching if I can't sing!"
I just smile and say...
"The kids don't care if you sound like a sick frog. They will just start singing with you no matter how you sound!"
They then try to counter with.....
"But it's easy for you.....you play the guitar!"
I smile even more widely and say......
"But PIGGYBACK SONGS don't require instruments!"
HOW TO INTEGRATE MUSIC INTO YOUR
LITERACY LESSONS
Piggyback songs just require familiarity with the tunes of old and traditional folk songs, nursery rhymes, and circle games from your childhood. Everybody knows the tune to Farmer In The Dell, London Bridges, Did You Ever See A Lassie, and A-Tisket, A-Tasket, right?
Now just grab some chart paper, a marker, and model how to change the words to fit your lesson topic or unit theme! For example, today during our morning meeting, my "Sally Squirrel" puppet helped my second graders recall and sort the migrators, hibernators, and adaptors we'd met while reading Jan Brett's Annie and the Wild Animals.
CONTENT INTEGRATION
Their anchor chart then inspired me to write two piggyback songs to help the group review and remember our important science concepts, which then inspired me to write a few more winter-themed songs for YOU to use with your primary grade students!
PIGGYBACK SONGS
STORY SONGS
NURSERY RHYMES
CIRCLE GAME SONGS
You'll find the link to this Sing Me A Story pack in my TpT shop! It includes colorful cover sheets that can be used to create dividers for a class notebook, and a blackline cover sheet that you can use if you decide to staple all of the songs into student booklets. Your students will just love re-reading and
re-singing these familiar verses while building their rhyming, phonemic awareness, sight word, vocabulary, and fluency skills! They can enjoy them as a group choral reading, take turns with a partner, or share them with a family member. Who said reading fluency practice had to be boring? Set the words to a tune and watch the magic (and the smiles) happen!
BOOK COMPANIONS & MENTOR TEXTS
Below I've highlighted a list of some of my favorite picture books that are a perfect match for each song!
EXTEND THE EXPERIENCE
If you like using songs and rhyme to improve fluency, expression, and rhythm skills in your young readers, you might enjoy this post, Five Days & Five Ways To Use Poetry With Primary Grade Students over on my blog! Click {HERE} to read all about it and see these resources I created!
SET MOTHER GOOSE ON THE LOOSE!
Nursery rhymes are also a great way to promote rhythmic, rhymed reading practices with your little learners. They are full of sight words and familiar short vowel patterns as well! Check out more resources in my store!
As always, thanks so much for allowing me to share my stories and songs with you. May the words of John Denver give you courage to share their magic with your little learners!
PIN FOR LATER
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