by Felicia Jeffries

Created on: May 16, 2008

Singing, it can be joy to the heart. Singing a song to one's liking can be likened to eating one's favorite food. It makes your eardrums shout. The joy of song brings laughter and pleasure to the soul in children and adults alike. Not only does singing give pleasure and joyfulness, it also can help one to learn, particularly young children. How so?

Consider a young child's ability to learn. Children can pick up a new language seemingly with the snap of a finger. Their brains are like little loofahs ready to soak up the suds of knowledge. When trying to teach a child various things such as colors, numbers, letters of the alphabet, and so on. The use of song has been very beneficial.

Just look at one of the most popular shows on television, Sesame Street. Sesame Street has successfully and skillfully taught young children, possibly including you and I, how to count, how to spell, and the alphabet by utilizing the use of song.

Remember the "Lady Bug Pick nick." "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, lady bugs sing at the lady bug pick nick." That songs taught countless numbers of children how to count to twelve. Think about the ABC song. That is one of the first songs children learn to sing. This is a song that teaches children the very foundation of reading, the alphabet.

When my daughter first started attending school, she needed to know her name. So days before starting her first day of kindergarten. I taught her a song that was the equivalent of her name. The song had a catchy tune, and like most children, she loved children's songs. Henceforth, she was able to spell her name by remembering the song I taught her. And soon afterward she no longer had any use for the song because she could spell her name without it.

This is just first hand experience on how a song can teach a child some very important knowledge. Also, teachers are incorporating the use of song in their curriculum not only with letters, but with in dept numbers such as timetables. I have also recollected how through a certain song it is possible to learn how to carry a tune. Doe, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, doe. Forgive me if my spelling was a little off, but you as the reader get the point. Even so, many children do not realize they are learning how to carry a tune. It is just a fun song to sing, yet it teaches so much.

I applaud the person who thought of this technique. Using song to teach children is something that is not strenuous, yet the lesson learned is one that lives with the child for a lifetime.

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