Music and singing promote auditory attention and perception, which are essential for understanding language. With every attempt to follow the rhythm of a song or even to hit it, the child learns to pronounce the words of a piece of music at the appropriate speed.
The ability to recognize the rhythmic pattern of a song is critical to the rhythmic and intonational organization of children’s speech. This can help children joining reading programs for kids. It is therefore advisable to start with simple songs that contain only a few lines and a simple but clear and brisk melody. The younger the child, the shorter the song should be.
Singing can develop reading capacity
When singing, children repeat the lyrics several times. Music teachers can motivate them to repeat the words and sentences. At the same time, they actively learn new words by understanding and actively using them in the context of the song. Learning in context is easier for all children.
Memorizing new words trains memory and increases language capacity, which is important for further learning. The amount of text should gradually grow with a child’s language proficiency. This also explains why verses and rhymes for kids typically consist of simple repetitive monosyllabic words. At the same time, the learned phrases are used in daily communication. Speech patterns are tried out in their own language usage. In this regard, songs with dialogues, that is, questions and answers, are particularly well suited.
Singing, reading and language development
Singing can strengthen articulatory skills as it requires clear articulation of sounds and words. Children must therefore make extra efforts to pronounce the sounds and sing each word clearly. Rhymes in a song make it even more interesting for children. The ability to recognize rhymes in a song can help children overcome their language difficulties. Rhymes are also common in oral speech and are used in reading skills. It helps children grasp the rhythmic organization of language because they are subconsciously rhyming separate syllables. Children can see which words and syllables rhyme and emphasize or intone them more strongly.
Voice modulation and volume change can enrich the intonation patterns already used by children and add new expressions to their oral language. In addition, songs train visual thinking, which is important for a creative use of language.