Why Singing With Your Child Builds Strong Readers
Remembering Through Music
Think back to your childhood. I bet you can start singing a song that you heard often—maybe a theme song, something your parents sang to you, a song from preschool, or one you heard on a kids' CD. It doesn’t matter where you heard it, I bet you can still sing it!
Music has long been thought of as a powerful learning device. For me, it was the Schoolhouse Rock songs. I can still sing them, and they’re how I helped my daughter learn the Preamble to the Constitution. I also used music to teach my kids our address and phone number. I borrowed familiar tunes and made up simple rhyming songs or chants. It worked! They knew how to reach me before they even started preschool. Ok, they might have had to sing their address, but they knew it!
Singing Builds Language Skills
Singing helps children remember. It taps into rhythm, rhyme, and repetition—the very same tools we use to support early literacy. When kids sing, they hear syllables broken apart, play with sounds, and begin to understand how language works. Singing slows down language in a way that makes it easier for children to process. That’s why "The Alphabet Song" has worked for generations.
Strengthening Bonds Through Song
Singing also encourages bonding. Whether you’re singing in the car, rocking before bedtime, or making up silly songs while waiting in line at the grocery store, those moments strengthen emotional connections and language skills at the same time. You don’t have to be a "good" singer—you just have to sing.
Why I Write Singable Books
That belief is at the heart of why I write musical picture books. I want caregivers to feel confident engaging with their children through rhythm and rhyme, even if they don't remember all the "official" words. Books like Cars, RVs, Trucks & Vans, Down on the Farm, and Little Racing Bees are designed to be sung aloud, repeated, and even acted out. They help kids build vocabulary, pattern recognition, and a joyful relationship with language.
Sing Your Way to Stronger Readers
So next time you pick up a book, try singing it! Or make up your own tune. Your child won’t mind. In fact, they’ll probably ask you to sing it again.
Let’s make reading more musical!
Free Printable: 5 Ways to Sing With Your Child
Sing your child’s name to the tune of "Bingo"
Turn your phone number into a jingle ("867-5309" style!)
Add claps and stomps to the alphabet song
Make up your own lyrics to "The Wheels on the Bus"
Use singable books like Five Fresh Donuts or Down on the Farm to practice rhyming and rhythm
Copy, print and post this on the fridge, classroom wall, or storytime board as a reminder: singing is learning!
