Sing a Song

Have you ever realized that some kids learn better when they are singing songs to remember things or listening to music. Here is an article from our guest blogger Dr. Rick.

Learn Math by Singing
by rbavaria

Kids love to sing. That’s why creative elementary teachers have so many songs at their fingertips – songs about history, songs about books, songs from other countries, songs about Bible stories, songs that help us remember things. Songs help kids stay focused. Singing together creates group-learning. And, let’s face it, singing’s fun, especially for the youngest learners who haven’t become self-conscious yet. The louder the better. That’s the only rule they know.

I’ve written about kids singing. There’s something joyful about seeing a bunch of kids singing to their hearts’ content. I’ll bet each of us adults can remember the lyrics of TV commercials for long-gone, useless products long after we’ve forgotten, say, the Pythagorean Theorem or the causes of the War of 1812.

So why not use songs to help kids learn their math? Math, more than any other subject, can make some kids anxious and reticent. (More on this in future blogs.) And it certainly tops the list of the homework-helping subjects parents are the least confident about. The company I work for, Sylvan Learning, sees it every day in our centers. (“I just can’t help with the math anymore! Help!”)

There’s lots of musical help out there for parents and kids who want to make learning math easier. Here’s an example from a website I like . “Numbers Everywhere” is simple, fun, and effective. It’s catchy and “sticky,” meaning it will stay in your kids’ minds (and yours, too – one of the parental occupational hazards) as they become aware of numbers that surround them every day.

Just like the alphabet song lets them recognize letters and words that surround them every day.

Here’s another one. Mr. R’s World of Math and Science has fun songs you can listen to or download. Songs about addition, subtraction, multiplication facts, counting by tens, place values, even simple geometry.

Here are a half-dozen reasons why you should at least consider singing about math with your kids.

1. Singing helps them pay attention. Music gets our attention, and that’s the first step in learning. I’m all for trying whatever gets kids’ attention and holds it.

2. Singing helps them stay engaged. When kids are learning together, they’re always motivated by how their peers are doing. Singing together – whether it’s with their friends and classmates or with you at home – lets them feel a part of a group of learners.

3. Singing helps them remember facts. Familiar songs cement words and concepts in our minds. A teacher told me once she loved to watch the kids lip synching as they worked individually on their math. “They were singing the songs in their heads.” Whatever works.

4. Singing is fun. Nothing wrong with injecting a little enjoyment into learning. When kids associate a good time with their classroom learning and their study time at home, they’re motivated for more learning, primed for new skills, and on the road to increased confidence.

5. Singing is creative. More often than not even the least math-oriented kids become little Einsteins when they’re encouraged to make up silly – but factual – lyrics to math songs. When you’re helping him study for his long division quiz, ask him to explain the process, then both of you put the process into song. Use favorite melodies – Mary Had a Little Lamb, The Farmer in the Dell, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, hip hop. Whatever works, remember?

6. Singing uses rhythm. Kids react to rhythm. It’s elemental and moving. I’ve written before about the teacher who taught his kids their spelling words by having them jump rope. The rhythm of the jumping helped them learn the words. Same for singing.

Of course, if you want to break out that old guitar you haven’t touched in years and accompany the kids in full-throated math song, feel free. Like I’ve said, whatever works.