Nursery rhymes have been a part of childhood for centuries. Spanning the generations, children and adults continue to delight in their poetry and melodies. Educators consider these rhymes traditional literature for music and language instruction. Within this article, the author includes a brief historical discussion of nursery rhymes and writes contemporary music lessons for young children using traditional English verse.
ColumnJohn Lithgow, a versatile and award-winning actor of the stage, screen, and television, is also a best-selling author of children's books. Music and the Arts are pervasive topics in Lithgow's books. His first book, The Remarkable Farkle McBride (Lithgow & Payne, 2000) tells the story of a boy who discovers that his preferred musical instrument is "playing" the orchestra as its conductor. For Lithgow, the alliance of animals and song makes for fantastic confederates.
Language and music literacy share a similar process of understanding that progresses from sensory experience to symbolic representation. The author identifies Bruner's modes of understanding as they relate to using narrative in the music classroom to enhance music reading at iconic and symbolic levels. Two sound stories are included for preschoolage children and for students in elementary grades.
Since the airing of Sesame Street in 1985, television produced for children has expanded to more television shows and educational media that includes videos, DVDs, and computer products. Viewing screen media is pervasive in the environments of young children, and companies are designing products for our youngest viewers—infants and toddlers. The educational benefits for children, parents, teachers, and music teachers are discussed. The benefits for commerce, however, seem to far outweigh what educational gains might occur for young children.
The Listening Walk by Paul Showers and illustrated by Aliki, and It's My City: A Singing Map by April Pulley Sayre with pictures by Denis Roche, provide two examples of texts that aid in building children's phonological awareness for reading and music. The author describes each narrative and discusses its function as a springboard to composition lessons in a primary and an upper-elementary general music classroom. Visual aids and examples of student work are presented.
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