Improve a Reading Homeschool Program With Music
Singing in Homeschooling Programs Affects Reading Fluency
Jul 5, 2009
Reading fluency is a skill involving many aspects covered in homeschooling programs for reading. How quickly children can read, how well they understand the text, how expressive they are while reading a text aloud, and how often they stumble over words all factor into their reading fluency. Music may be one of the best ways parents can improve their reading homeschool program and help their children make progress on all of these fronts.
How Singing in Homeschooling Programs Improves Reading Fluency?
Song lyrics offer homeschool students many benefits when it comes to reading. The steady tempo of a song helps children control the smoothness and speed of their reading.
Also, students need many opportunities to practice a text before they are able to read it fluently. Song lyrics offer a fun and engaging way of the repetition essential for mastery.
Finding Music for the Reading Homeschool Program
To incorporate music into homeschooling programs for reading, parents will first need to find appropriate songs. Folk songs are an excellent choice for a number of reasons.
- Folk songs can easily tie into and enhance the Social Studies curriculum.
- Folk songs often contain nonsensical words which offer excellent practice in phonics.
- Folk songs offer a tie to a student’s cultural heritage.
- Many folk songs are just plain fun to sing.
An excellent resource for homeschooling parents might be 200 Years of American Heritage in Song by the Great American String Band [1995]. This four CD set is a collection of 100 folk songs spanning the colonial period, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Westward Migration, Civil War, and much more. From the songs of sailors and soldiers to the ballads of cowboys and outlaws, this collection offers a tapestry of American history in song. The lively arrangements and expressive singers are sure to help students get into the fun of singing along. John Langstaff’s Songs for Singing Children [1996] is another source which offers a great collection of silly and fun folk tunes.
Adding Music to a Reading Homeschool Program
Parents will want to introduce a new song by offering a copy of the lyrics to children. They will either need to type out the words and print them in an easy-to-read font or write them out on a flip chart.
Parents should drag their fingers under the text as they listen to the lyrics with their children. Because reading ahead enables children to become smooth and expressive readers, parents can encourage this skill by keeping their fingers under the words a beat or two ahead of the singing and finding the next lines of text during musical breaks.
When children and parents are used to the song’s melody, they can begin singing along together. Parents should allow children to sing along with the song over several lessons until they are comfortable with the text. At this point, parents can experiment by allowing children to read the lyrics without music.
Reading fluency is a skill built over years of practice. Music offers a fun way homeschooling parents can both add a twist to homeschooling programs and work toward this essential goal.
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