Very eloquently stated case for more song in the classroom. Thank you. Personally, I have a thing for the lyrics of Cole Porter, Ira Gerschwin, Irving Berlin, and Hammerstein - the old show tunes.
At 09:36 AM 5/27/2007 -0400, you wrote: >Just a reply to the concept of singing and fluency. > >I teach first grade and we begin each day with a morning sing... something I >decided was a must after responsive training inservice. In fact, in my old >district, morning sing was a school wide affair that began each day. > >Now I am not talking about traditional first grade ditties or nursery type >songs. We sing popular songs of yesteryear and the here and now. > >Besides the community that it builds, I have found that it really helps >first graders in a number of ways.... >many examples of working with words are naturally built in..... this was >eye opening to me when an emergent reader spelled the word beautiful in >September... she just hummed "Oh what a beautiful morning" and when she >came to >beautiful she said she closed her eyes and pictured the chart....of course >there are all the other working with words strategies that can be used >just as >well as configuration and visual imagery. > >Then there's all the reading comprehension strategies connections, mental >images, determining importance.... in fact we just finished inferences and >are now working on synthesis. The kids are singing "Let the day begin" by >the >Call a real happening now type beat......and are doing a marvelous job of >inferring and synthesizing how they begin their days. Conversation has been >going on for days about attitude, thankfulness, self-improvement, >perseverance, >cooperation.... we taken it to writing poetry as well as our own songs... >It's >also a good jumping board for our final unit in reading workshop: planning >our lives as strong readers and writers ....lots of good stuff. > >Singing also helps with peer revision; our motto is ... if you we can't sing >in front of each other, how could we ever peer edit? This sets such a >wonderful tone for respect and cooperation, and understanding when kids come >together to help each other... rather than that "gotcha,I'm smarter than >you" that >I've seen happen with younger children. During our research reports on the >rain forest, kids would spend their time printing out articles and cutting >pictures they found for other kids' reports while searching for their own >info >rmation. > >Then there's the whole aesthetic stance to text... I love when the kids pick >songs for us to sing. They have to tell why they chosen a morning sing and >how it would help us as community member or reader or writer.... > >Finally, another very early benefit for first graders: stamina! Children are >not afraid on longer text. In September my early readers often choose books >that are tad longer in length and say.... well it is not as long as our text >in morning sing. > >I love morning sing... it sets up my day as well. I just don't plow into the >day... more reflective and hopeful... > > > >************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. >_______________________________________________ >Mosaic mailing list >[email protected] >To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > >Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. Timothy Rasinski, Ph.D. Reading and Writing Center 404 White Hall Kent State University Kent, OH 44242 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: 330-672-0649 Cell: 330-962-6251 Fax: 330-672-2025 Informational website: www.timrasinski.com Professional Development DVD: http://www.roadtocomprehension.com/ _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
