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Fall 2000 Read With Me! Emergent Literacy and Kindermusik Parents
and children are chanting and swaying, laughing and embracing. Sounds like
singing time in Kindermusik class, right? Look again. It’s Music and Movement
Story Time in Kindermusik! Careful
study of families over recent years leaves little doubt about the powerful effect
of reading in young families. Books help children become whole people;
reading facilitates both parent-child relationships and language development
as it helps build a child’s understanding of the world. Using
books with families is not new. In fact, reading to children closely
approximates the experience of singing or conversation. It provides another
way to communicate through rhythm, tone and language that is, after all, very
much like music. Books
stir the same responses in young children that music does. Some books are
exciting and encourage movement. Some inspire children to be thoughtful. And
some books soothe a child to sleep just like a lullaby. An added value of the
reading experience is the benefit to family relationships. When parents read
a book to their child, the physical closeness they share brings them closer.
The story they share in their minds gives them a common view of the world as
the books they read create a culture for their family. And many parents can
attest to the helpfulness of books when they are forced to sit still and wait
at the doctor’s office or on a long trip with wiggly toddlers! For
young children whose emotions are powerful but their expressive language is
still limited, books provide understanding for the emotions they experience.
Through hearing stories, toddlers and pre-schoolers can make sense of their
own feelings. Books allow for the full expression of their sometimes
overwhelming emotions. Maybe the best reason to read to young
children is not because it makes them smarter or more verbal, which it
undeniably does, but because it makes them whole people. Very young children empathize with characters who get
embarrassed or feel that nobody likes them or feel sad when their moms leave.
Children who hear many stories as they are building their view of the world
will include not only their own limited experiences, but also the many other
experiences they’ve heard about in books. In
Kindermusik class, literature is another medium for communication between parents
and children. Music and Movement Story Time is one particular component of a
Kindermusik class that combines music, movement and literature. Your
Kindermusik educator models read-aloud methods in class and gives you ideas
about how to bring books alive for your children at home. The use
of literature in Kindermusik classes provides natural connections between
singing and reading aloud, listening and communicating. The ability to sing
depends heavily on language development, including learning to use the
speaking voice expressively. Music and Movement Story Time can foster
awareness of sounds, teach use of language, and send the messages that words
have meaning and that books are fun. The
Kindermusik experience at home is beautifully strengthened by the inclusion
of literature. These stories are built on the musical experiences provided in
the Kindermusik curriculum. Reading books at home extends the Music and
Movement Story Time from class as it inspires the enjoyment of the
Kindermusik themes through a variety of media. As a parent, you
are your child’s first teacher and play a vital role in helping your child to
learn about language. Kindermusik literature is provided to help you along
this journey. The information in this article is
adapted from an article written for Kindermusik International by Claudia
Quigg, Executive Director of BabyTALK |
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