A B C Kick Box by Dr Jean
Young students just learning to read need to be able to understand the relationships between letters and sounds. Songs and exercises in the A B C Kick Box will help them to build their letter sound skills. You can find some ideas for phonological awareness and letter sounds here: www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2011/01_Jan_css/pg03.html Dr. Jean Feldman has much experience as a Kindergarten teacher and as a presenter at workshops for pre-K and K teachers. She believes that movement and music help to improve learning. Dr. Jean appears at conferences all over the US and in parts of Canada more than fifty times each year. You can see some of her scheduled appearances here: drjean.org/html/workshop_calendarPg.html Many of the songs Dr. Jean has on iTunes were produced with the intention of supporting teachers and parents. We hope that you enjoy this one. Dr. Jean also sings, "The Banana Dance," a popular YouTube song about avocados, oranges and guacamole. Has anyone ever told you that you “can’t sing”? I’ve been told that myself many times. That’s the great thing about children. They don’t know you can’t sing if you put a smile on your face and act enthusiastic. Parents, teachers and pre-school, Kindergarten and first grade youngsters will all enjoy school more and likely improve learning when music is part of the classroom environment. Someone once reminded me that “a gift from the heart is always received by the heart.” We may not all be rock stars or be able to play an instrument, but we can share the magic and joy of music in our classrooms every day. And with all the academic pressure, music is clearly the “spoonful of sugar” to help the medicine go down. Tooty Ta is another favorite among Dr. Jean's fans, but she has many popular songs on her 17 CD's and 2 DVD's. Kids, parents and teachers could improve learning by singing every day in class and at home. 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!
