Book Study: Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites: Chapter 11 {Music, Rhythm, Rhyme & Rap}

I'm linking up with Rachelle and Natalie over at What the Teacher Wants to talk about chapter 11 in Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites.

I think I may have said that chapters 9 & 10 were right up my alley - well, so is this one!

They don't call me DJ Jazzy Wazy for nothing..

Okay - they don't actually call me that...but they SHOULD!

Strategy 11:

Music, Rhythm, Rhyme & Rap

"Music has the remarkable ability to energize, relax, set the daily mood, stimulate student brains, inspire, and make learning fun." {Jensen, 2009a}

Holy powerful!  WOW!  That quote right there says it all.  I mean, really, "relax and energize", "inspire and make fun". You name the tone you are trying to set and music can help with that.  

That's just how powerful music is!

I use music a ton in my classroom.  Whether it be during a brain break, a transition, during a quiet calm work time, to have fun, as a celebration, to help us learn new concepts or review previous ones - seriously, I use music CONSTANTLY!

I'm not much of a singer, so I do rely mostly on the professionals when singing in my room, but you do know that our students don't really care about that, right?  So, I will break into song or rap if the situation warrants...{i.e. nobody is listening, all you know what has broke loose, I'm just feelin' it...}

I have so many songs/artists - I thought I'd share some so you can add them to your repertoire!

In no particular order...

10.

We listen to this during writer's workshop.  For some reason I don't play music during reader's workshop.

9.

We listen to all the songs on this album - I typed up the lyrics and put them on my SmartBoard because so many of them teach a lesson.  Some of our favorites:
Read a Book {that's our cue that it's time for reader's workshop}
All the Way Around the World {our cue that it's writer's workshop}
Itchy Itchy, Owie Owie, Boo Boo {clean up time after various activities}

8.

There are so many of "these" that you can find on YouTube - from music set with a fire burning in a fireplace, to sea-side music.  I just search until I find one that I like.  This is a great one to use when we come in from outdoor recess in the spring time.  Lights out, heads down - a wonderfully calming way to give our little bodies/brains a break.

7.

I have a whole collection of Kidz Bop from my own boys - we like to listen to these when doing "Ketchup and Mustard".

6.

Need to teach a certain concept and you want it to stick?  Harry Kindergarten is your man!  Many songs are free on YouTube!

5.

I love this blog post over at Scholastic - Mr. Vasicek put a lot of thought into the songs he uses and when he uses them.  You'll want to check out this post - because I downloaded most of the songs he suggested and will use them throughout the day.  

4.

I just love Rockabye Baby!  Have a favorite music artist? Rockabye Baby may have just turned one of favorites into an album of lullabies.  Great to use during calming brain breaks.

3.

Another YouTube favorite of mine - I love their ABC songs - I use these at the beginning of the year as a review - but also throughout the year when working on handwriting.

2.

I still have this one on CD - I've owned this CD since it originally came out.  Enya is just good for the soul!

1,

The Learning Station is a favorite of mine because they have a lot of "call and response" type songs.  These are great working those listening muscles!

I hope the list of above gave you a few to add to your bag of tricks - having a variety of musical artists/genres is as important as the eclectic choice of books in your classroom reading library.

"Change the music during a learning episode.  Set an emotional mood before class starts, upbeat tunes for moving around the room, music appropriate to the task during seatwork, and positive music at the end of the class." {Sousa, 2006}

One way I'd like to improve is by incorporating music more authentically by encouraging my students to create their own raps, rhythms and rhymes for various concepts.  I'm already seeing this as a work on writing activity during Daily 5!

How do you use music in your classroom?  Do you have any favorites that you'd like to share?

Go visit What the Teacher Wants to see what other teachers shared!