Sing, sing a song!
One of my favorite ways to play with language is by singing. My ever-growing repertoire of show tunes and light rock songs brings joy to the entire town (or at least my mother.) And Claudia sings a convincing "Tomorrow".
Seriously, lyrics are a fabulous thing to consider for March is Reading Month. Some of the first things kids could read in my class were the class poems and songs that we would sing. And there are many fabulous picture books that take a journey through a song, ranging from "The Lady with the Alligator Purse" to "What a Wonderful World". Singing commits words to memory and like poetry, celebrates the rhythm and sound of language. With older children, it's my favorite way to study structure. But there's so much more: kids feel pretty empowered noticing the difference between verses and the chorus, changes in volume and intensity, modulation, and other relationships with words and music.
Listening to music is way to make a house where living well and feeling deeply matter.
Hmm... after having "Tomorrow" from "Annie" and "Sing" from "A Chorus Line" being on a constant loop for Miss C to dance to (in her underwear), I am feeling less poetic about music. Please- make it stop.
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