Dr. Jean and Dr. Holly collaborated to produce some videos demonstrating fingerplays.

It’s amazing that children today are just as mesmerized by finger plays as I was as a little girl half a century ago. I can still remember “Here Are Grandma’s Glasses” that Mrs. Meyers taught me my first day of kindergarten, and now as I share these rhymes with my grandson I am reminded of the joy children get from simple things like finger stories.

Though I’ve done “Where Is Thumbkin?” thousands of times, it’s NEW to him. The magic is still there as he dances his thumbs behind his back.

Here are the top ten reasons to SING every day!

1. When you sing your brain emits endorphins, and endorphins make you happy! Emotions are critical to learning.

2. Music is multi-sensory. The more senses you get going to the brain, the more likely the message will get there.

3. Music is powerful for prior-learning. If children are exposed to concepts while singing, it is easier for them to learn when formally introduced.

4. Music nurtures phonemic awareness (alliteration, rhyme, etc.).

5. Songs and chants are a natural way to develop oral language and auditory memory.

6. Poems and songs lay a foundation for fluency and enhance short term memory.

7. Children are able to use their imaginations and create pictures in their brains when they sing. This is an important part of reading comprehension.

8. Repetition is a key to learning. It is much more fun to repeat songs than worksheets!

9. Singing and dancing relieve stress and oxygenate the brain.

10. Through music and movement ALL children can feel successful. A “community of learners” is enhanced when teachers and children enjoy something together!

There was a study that was reported on National Public Radio called “Alive Inside.” In the research study they made iPods of songs that had a special significance to patients suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s. These patients didn’t recognize family members, but when they heard the music they tapped their feet, sang the words, and smiled! So many things that we do in our classrooms will be forgotten, but the songs will be stored in children’s brains for a lifetime! What a privilege to be able to do this!

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