RM Winter 2016 FLIP

which they performed for the whole class on the day of the poetry slam. Using something the students were interested in, songwriting, generated an authentic assessment, and it represented their full understanding of the literary concepts that had been the focus of instruction. Additionally, it gave them an opportunity to experience something they loved and felt capable of doing. Their attitude towards writing the song was vastly different from their initial reluctance to write original poetry. a chance to be successful and to build self-esteem when students may be frustrated by their performance in other subjects (Overy, 2000). English language learners, especially, may feel safer and able to take risks when a positive attitude toward learning is present and accompanied by experiences that promote language learning (Paquette & Rieg, 2008). Thus, including music in the poetry unit reduced the pressure that an unfamiliar subject often has on students, allowing them to thrive in a positive and enjoyable learning environment. adolescent students with learning disabilities. The students were resistant to reading instruction and had poor progress; song lyrics served as the instrument of change, producing increased ability in phonics, decoding, and word recognition. Biggs, Homan, Dedrick, & Rasinski (2008) found that repeated reading and singing of lyrics aided struggling middle-schoolers who made greater reading progress than those in a comparison intervention group. Music Supports Language Learning for English Language Learners Language learning programs that incorporate music and songs have been especially effective in the education of English Language Learners [ELLs] (Fisher, 2001; Lems, 2002; Peregoy & Boyle, 2008). The repetition in songs allows students to hear words and phrases numerous times, making songs easy to follow (Paquette & Rieg, 2008). Murphey (1992) suggests that lyrics in songs are effective tools because they contain high frequency vocabulary and have fewer referents that may confuse language learners. In a longitudinal study of kindergarten-first grade children who spoke Spanish at home, 80 students were randomly selected and assigned to one of four classrooms (Fisher, 2001), staying with the same teacher for two years of instruction. Two of the teachers incorporated music into the literacy block during while the other two teachers did not. Unannounced observations occurred in each classroom across the two years. Pre- and post-assessments were collected on all students. Findings indicated that the students who experienced music in their classroom performed significantly better on the Student Oral Language Observation Matrix [SOLOM] (California Department of Education, 1981), averaging 13.2 on the SOLOM compared to 8.4 for students without music. Likewise, children whose literacy program was combined with music performed significantly higher on the Yopp-Singer Test of Phoneme Segmentation (Yopp, 1995), averaging 19.5 versus 17.1. The classrooms integrating music into their instructional activities Music provides an informal, positive environment and makes learning enjoyable; singing while learning gives children A few studies conducted with older students provide similar results. Hines (2010) documented the progress of several

outperformed the other classes on the Yopp-Singer Test of Phonemic Segmentation (Fisher, 2001). Although progress on the third assessment, the Developmental Reading Assessment [DRA] (Beaver, 1997) was less widespread, ten students in the “music rich” classroom were reading at grade level in English and Spanish; only one student in the classroom without music was reading at grade level. Music and songs were incorporated into morning opening, word work, centers, content areas, and instructional units. Further information about classroom differences and music incorporation can be explored at http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/ cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1179&context=reading_horizons . As Fisher (2001) and many other experts cited in this article suggest, music has the ability to promote many components of literacy. It does not take away from other subjects or aspects of the curriculum; instead, it can be incorporated as literacy materials or tools throughout the day. The observations conducted in the Fisher study suggest that music influenced more enthusiastic demeanors from the teachers and a classroom climate that represented general excitement and joy for learning. It is hard to frown when you are singing! References Almasi, J. F. & Fullerton, S. K. (2012). Teaching strategic processes in reading (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford. Anvari, S., Trainor, L., Woodside, J., & Levy, B. (2002). Relations among musical skills, phonological processing, and early reading ability in preschool children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology , 83(2), 111-130.

Reading Matters Teaching Matters

Beaver, J. (1997). Developmental Reading Assessment: Resource Guide. Parsippany, NJ: Celebration Press.

Biggs, M., Homan, S., Dedrick, R., & Rasinski, T. (2008). Using an interactive singing software program: A comparative study of middle school struggling readers. Reading Psychology, An International Quarterly , 29(3), 195-213.

California State Department of Education. (1981). Student Oral Language Observational Matrix. Sacramento, CA: Office of Bilingual Bicultural Education.

Fisher, D. (2001). Early language learning with and without music. Reading Horizons , 42(1), 39-40.

Green, J. (2014). For Pete’s sake. Atlanta Magazine . (September 12, 2014). Retrieved from http://www.atlantamagazine.com/great-reads/for-petes-sake/

Hansen, D., & Bornstorf, E. (2002). Linking music learning to reading instruction. Music Educators Journal, 88(5), 17-52.

Harp, B. (1988). When the principal asks:“Why are your kids singing during reading time?” The Reading Teacher , 41(4), 454-456.

Hines, S. (2010). Name that word. Using song lyrics to improve the decoding skills of adolescents with learning disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children , 43(1), 16-21.

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