28 Nov Ready to Read: Sing
Did you know that singing to – and eventually with – your baby or young child has great benefits for preparing them to read?
That’s right! Those seemingly silly nursery rhymes or sweet, gentle lullabies have a purpose beyond simply entertaining a fussy baby or helping a child relax and fall asleep.
Benefits of singing
Singing encourages children to pay more attention to the sounds within words, as they are often emphasized or drawn out. This will help them sound out words when they are learning to read.
Songs also often feature rhythms and or rhymes that help children identify the cadence of words and recognize similar sound patterns that repeat in different words.
This is why singing is a key part of our storytimes at the library, and why you should sing to – and with – your child at home. It doesn’t matter how well you think you sing or how on-key you are; no one is judging. Sing silly songs or sweet songs; favorite songs from your own childhood or songs you hear on the radio; you can even make up songs to narrate your day!
Sing with enthusiasm to help your child fall in love with music and be better prepared to learn to read. Not sure where to start? We have some board books that are literally meant to be sung!
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Written by Carolyn L., Youth Services Library Assistant
