singing

Kindergarten Readiness Rocks! Rockstar Fun and Learning

Kindergarten readiness is really rocking. Singing is fun for kids and it is a great learning activity. It supports learning and readiness in several ways:

  • promotes language fluency and acquiring new words
  • stimulates brain connections and development for patterns
  • exercises remembering skills for words, tune, patterns, etc.
  • helps for learning math by using a system of notes that go up and down like numbers go up and down
  • provides repetition and rhythm
  • encourages careful listening and predicting

Singing is also a social activity because children need to listen to others so they can sing together. They also learn that others like what they do (as the mom does in this video). Or kids have fun just singing all by themselves. The rockstar in this video is not very old but he has already made many brain connections for singing. Enjoy watching this really quick video, it’s so cute!  Does your child like to sing? Are there some ways you can fit singing into your day for your child?

Kindergarten Readiness – June Bugs For Fun and Learning

June bugs are no fun when camping, but a great resource for kindergarten readiness! Is your child fascinated with bugs? Usually kids are and will watch them, or even collect them enthusiastically. We can use that enthusiasm and build on it with all kinds of learning fun.

Where we live, it rains a lot in June. While spiders are not technically bugs they are creepy crawly and the Itsy Bitsy Spider is a favorite song. Singing supports learning and readiness in several ways. It encourages all kinds of brain connections, the most obvious is language and vocabulary.  The notes that go up and down, the rhythm, and the repetition all create patterns. These patters prewire the brain for other patterns, especially in math. Songs stretch remembering: what words come next, how does the tune go, the correct order of words and more. There are important skills and strategies such as auditory discrimination, rhythm, rhyming, language fluency, listening skills, and basic concepts. Singing is a social activity helping kids be aware of others as they sing together.

If you can handle hearing the song over and over (and over) here is a cartoon video that shows the adventure of the Itsy Bitsy Spider starting at a house and continuing on to a farm, a parade and a church. Learning is an adventure too. Stay tuned for more activities this month for your June Bug’s kindergarten readiness. Do you have some favorite bug ideas to share with other parents, caregivers and kids between the ages of 0 to 6?

Kindergarten Readiness – Spring Fun & Learning Activities #2

Any season has fun activities for kids and kindergarten readiness but spring seems especially appropriate. After all, it’s the season for new growth.

And speaking of new, lots of baby animals are born in the spring. Kids seem fascinated with baby animals, even just in pictures. One of my favorite spring songs is all about many of them. Kids love it because they get to make the animal sounds. An added bonus (?!?) is that the verses are almost unlimited. Sing to the tune of London Bridge.

spring-songs-for-kidsLittle chicks go peep, peep, peep.  Peep, peep, peep.  Peep, peep, peep.   Little chicks go peep, peep, peep in the springtime.

Little lambs go baa, baa, baa.  Baa, baa, baa.   Baa, baa, baa.
Little lambs go baa, baa, baa  in the springtime.

Little kittens go mew, mew, mew.   Mew, mew, mew.   Mew, mew, mew.  Little kittens go mew, mew, mew in the springtime.

Little goat kids go maa, maa, maa.  Maa, maa, maa.   Maa, maa, maa.   Little goat kids go maa, maa, maa  in the springtime.

Continue with little puppies, little calves, little ducklings, little piglets,  and any other baby animals you and your child can think of. Little bunnies only wiggle their noses.

Songs and singing support many different kinds of learning and readiness for kindergarten areas. This song has lots of new words for the names of baby animals. All that repetition is a way to practice the right order for words. Songs have patterns which prewire the brain for all kinds of other patterns, especially in math, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h kids’ memory for things that they hear. In addition to memory, there are important skills and strategies such as auditory discrimination, rhythm, listening skills, and basic concepts. Singing is a social activity helping kids be aware of others as they sing together.

(My kids especially loved visiting my sister’s sheep farm in the spring but talk about noise! While a few lambs sound kind of cute, there were often over 700 of them and they were so loud we had to shout to hear each other in the yard. The house would have the ‘pets’, the ones that needed extra attention; some would be wrapped in towels in the bathroom to keep warm, some in the kitchen for bottles, and some sleeping in boxes. Spring days were filled with new ones every day.) What do you remember and love about spring?

 

 

Readiness for Kindergarten – Dragons and Ducks

No, that isn’t the name of a new video game. 2012 is the year of the Dragon. I found an incredible children’s mural called “The Dragon’s Magical Bath of Learning”. That’s the best way for kids to learn–immersing them in learning. Each day include some learning time in regular, ordinary activities, adding some fun and … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Dragons and Ducks

Readiness for Kindergarten – Rock Star Pumpkins

Well, not exactly rock stars but who knows? Kids love to sing, especially a few favorite songs that adults get to hear over and over and over. But songs and singing help develop many different readiness for kindergarten areas. The obvious one is language and more than just vocabulary. All that repetition is a way … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Rock Star Pumpkins

Readiness for Kindergarten – Sing a Song for Backpacks

I’m always amazed at the resources I find when searching on the web. I had no idea there were so many songs and videos about backpacks. Singing is a wonderful  readiness for kindergarten activity. It helps to develop auditory discrimination and memory, vocabulary, rhythm, rhyming, language fluency, listening skills, social skills, basic concepts, and that’s … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Sing a Song for Backpacks

Kindergarten Readiness – S = Sing

Singing is a wonderful readiness activity. It helps to develop auditory discrimination, auditory memory, vocabulary, rhythm, rhyming, language fluency, listening skills, social skills, basic concepts,  and that’s only a few. While there are appealing kids artists and great CD’s some of the best songs are the ones that kids and parents/caregivers  make up as they … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – S = Sing