Campfires and songs are more than tradition. Singing is a sure-fire way to develop language skills. When kids sing along they are using memory, predicting, careful listening, vocabulary and rhythm, to name just a few. In the brain, music helps develop math pathways, too. Notes go up and down a scale just like numbers go up and down in order. Ever here a song in the morning and it’s stuck in your head all day? That’s a sign of the brain creating connections and pathways.
Language skills are evaluated for kindergarten readiness. Readiness for kindergarten doesn’t develop overnight. It comes from lots and lots of experiences that travel the same pathways over and over to make connections. With that in mind, sing around the campfire, along the road in the car, waiting at the ferry, doing the dishes….Where else can you and your child sing? What songs do you like for kids?