Singing is another terrific way to help kids learn. Not only do they practice musical skills but also important ones for learning vocabulary, rhythm, word order and language patterns, but it also strengthens their auditory memory and provides good listening practice. There are some fabulous children’s entertainers with simple and catchy songs but plain, ordinary, everyday singing with parents and caregivers can be done anytime, anywhere and on any subject. One trick is to piggy-back new words onto old tunes. Following are two examples.
Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.
Drive, drive, drive your car, gently down the street. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a treat.
Fly, fly, fly your plane gently in the sky. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life’s too fun to cry.
Tune: She’ll be coming ’round the mountain. Words by Daylene
We’ll be going on vacation in the car, honk, honk.
We’ll be going on vacation in a plane, zoom, zoom.
We’ll be going an vacation in a train, chug, chug.
We’ll be going on vacation in a boat, toot, toot.
It’s okay to use the word truck in these songs, although it is best to avoid that mode of transportation for some others. Phew. The ever-popular “Wheels on the bus” can be the wheels on the car with almost endless verses for another song. Any other possibilities for cartunes?