Using Music as a Teaching Strategy

Just Sharing….

A few years ago when my son, Ben, was in 5th grade, I attended their Poetry Café at his elementary school.  His teachers shared with the parents how they use music to reinforce how they teach story elements and figurative language. I’ve attached the YouTube videos for you.  They are quite catchy and it was really cute listening to the kids sing along! There are lots of resources on the web, just like these, that you can find for almost any subject or concept.

Elements of a Story

"Five Things" - http://www.flocabulary.com/fivethings/

This song is about the five main elements of a story: setting, plot, characters, conflict, and theme.

Figurative Language

“Figurative Language” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPiVfdwAsUg

This song is about personification, alliteration, assonance, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, metaphor, and simile.

Using music in our classes and learning environments has several benefits, such as promoting a relaxed emotional state, stimulating the brain to be creative, or aiding in memory formation. Studies done by F. F. Cripe , L. Morton, J. Keshner, and L. Seigel conclude that music has a beneficial effect on students. They suggest that music with a prominent beat stimulates an increased arousal in students which overrides the effect of environmental distracters…repetitive beat produces a reduction in muscle tension, thus reducing hyperactivity… (there was) significant reduction in distractibility among students after being exposed to music. Short term memory was also beneficially affected by having to listened to music.

 

My colleagues, Noah and Kristin’s performed a Math Rap to help their students remember the rules of rounding. Noah reports that at first, the students were trying to act “so cool” and not crack a smile but they really latched onto the concept and some even joined in up in the front of the classroom!

 

Even a marking period later, one of his students was overheard singing lyrics from the song, “Move to the right and underline, get it!” when doing an activity that involved rounding!

 Thanks for sharing, Noah and Kristin! Share ways YOU use music or other active engagement activities. Have fun!