By Lisa Rowell, on April 25th, 2012
Blocks or sensory table? Reading nook or art station? Computer center or math tubs? In preschool and elementary school, teachers use choices to provide multiple learning opportunities for the class while simultaneously managing a large group of students. Over time, children quickly develop personal favorites and if given the opportunity would choose the same center each time.
Literacy Activities
Now research shows that children who are interested in literacy activities and voluntarily choose them are better readers than other children. Led by Alison Baroody, a team from Purdue University investigated the relationship between children’s self-professed literacy interest, their home literacy environment, and their literacy skills, including alphabet knowledge and word recognition.
As published in the Topics in Early Childhood Special Education journal, the results of the analysis indicate that taking advantage of children’s interests as well as planning activities in school and at home that are likely to be interesting can increase children’s reading abilities.
Research in Action: ABC Music & Me
Before the research began showing how children learn through music, early childhood educators and elementary school teachers used music to teach math concepts, reading skills, self-control, and more. Children love learning through music.
In the early language and literacy curriculum, ABC Music & Me, educators use music and movement to actively engage learners of all abilities. Monthly themes include children’s favorites, such as Colors and Shapes on the Farm; Home Sweet Home; and Drums, Drums, Drums. In addition, each participating child receives a monthly Student Kit, including a Family Magazine (available in English and Spanish) with a story and literacy activities that bridge the gap between the classroom and home environment. To further support language and literacy growth, children receive the music from class to enjoy at home.
For more information about using ABC Music & Me in your classroom, school, or district, email us at info@abcmusicandme.com.
By Lisa Rowell, on April 24th, 2012
In tonal languages, such as Mandarin, a word’s meaning can change significantly depending on the pitch. Although English is not a tonal language, spoken words can carry subtle differences in emotion. Ask a group of children on the first day of school how they are doing and they may all answer the same: “I’m okay.” However, the emotions behind the words may be: nervous, scared, excited, anxious, or sad.
Research published in the European Journal of Neuroscience, shows that musical training can increase a person’s ability to recognize the emotion behind the words. A team from Northwestern University measured brainstem processing of pitch, timing, and timbre in 30 musicians and non-musicians. While connected to scalp electrodes, participants watched a nature film. At random intervals, a 250-millisecond fragment of a baby’s distressed cry could be heard through earphones.
Key Findings:
- The musicians more quickly focused on the part of the sound known to carry more emotional elements and placed less importance on the part of the sound with less.
- The acoustic elements that the musicians processed more efficiently are the same ones that children with language disorders, such as dyslexia, have problems encoding.
- The more years of musical experience and the earlier those experiences began increased the participants’ abilities to recognize the emotion behind the sound.
“Quickly and accurately identifying emotion in sound is a skill that translates across all arenas, whether in the predator-infested jungle or in the classroom,” Dana Strait, primary author of the study, said in a press release.
Research in Action: ABC Music & Me
As the researchers at Northwestern University discovered, the earlier a child participates in musical experiences the greater the impact. ABC Music & Me uses music and movement to teach children early literacy and language. In our research-based curriculum, young children learn to identify and express rhythmic patterns, music notation, music vocabulary, and develop listening acuity.
To learn more about using our early literacy and language curriculum in your class, school, or district, email us at info@abcmusicandme.com.
By Lisa Rowell, on April 20th, 2012
Strong vocabulary improves not only communication abilities but also can dramatically increase self-regulation, according to early childhood research. However, walk into the average preschool classroom and you will find children with a wide range of vocabulary development. For some children, their vocabulary may be near the top of the scale at 1,000 words while others may know fewer than 500 words.
The speed at which vocabulary grows can vary widely from child to child. In an attempt to predict this variability, Meredith Rowe, PhD and a team of researchers from the University of Chicago investigated the link between the use of gestures at the beginning stages of language-learning and later vocabulary development. As published in the First Language Journal, the team followed 53 English-speaking parent-child pairs interacting at home for 90-minutes every four months when the children were between the ages of 14 and 34 months. At 42 months, the children were given a picture vocabulary test.
Key findings
- Child gesture use at 14 months was a significant predictor of vocabulary size at 42 months, above and beyond the effects of parent and child word use at 14 months.
- Parent gesture use at 14 months was not directly related to vocabulary development, but did relate to child gesture use at 14 months.
Research in Action: ABC Music & Me
ABC Music & Me boosts language and literacy skills, including vocabulary development. Picture vocabulary cards support unit-by-unit vocabulary, comprehension, memory, and pre-literacy skills. In addition to the classroom lessons, parent involvement forms a vital component. Each participating child receives a monthly Student Kit, including music from class and a Family Magazine with a story and age-appropriate literacy activities, including those that support vocabulary development. The magazine is available in English and Spanish.
For more information about using ABC Music & Me in your school, email us at info@abcmusicandme.com
By Lisa Rowell, on April 19th, 2012
In the 1980s, young children learned all about multiplication thanks to School House Rock’s Multiplication Rock. Since then, the body of research connecting math and music continues to grow. Now, new research published in the Educational Studies in Mathematics journal indicates that tapping out a beat may help elementary school children learn fractions.
Led by Susan Joan Courey, PhD, the research team investigated the effects of an academic music intervention on conceptual understanding of music notation, fraction symbols, fraction size, and equivalency of third-graders. Half of the elementary students in the study received fractions instructions through the general education mathematics program and half received music instruction two times per week. Each music class lasted 45 minutes for a 6-week duration.
Key Findings:
- At the end of the study, students in the music-based program scored 50 percent higher on a fraction test compared to students in the regular math class.
- Lower-performing students who were taught the music curriculum scored 40 percent higher on the final fractions test compared to their lower performing peers in the regular math class.
“Students who started out with less fraction knowledge achieved final test scores similar to their higher-achieving peers,” Courey said in a press release. “Lower-performing students might find it hard to grasp the idea of fractions from a diagram or textbook, but when you add music and multiple ways of learning, fractions become second nature to them.”
Research in Action: ABC Music & Me
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) advocates for math learning in contexts that simultaneously supports other types of thinking and problem-solving. Music is one example.
 The Impact of Music on Mathematics Development At ABC Music & Me, we use music and movement to teach children language and literacy and early math skills. Early childhood educators and researchers know that music can be an effective method for teaching young children early math concepts. The Impact of Music on Mathematics Achievement highlights some of the most recent research.
For more information about using ABC Music & Me in your classroom, school, or district, email us at info@abcmusicandme.com.
By Lisa Rowell, on April 18th, 2012
Minnie Pearl takes a minute to shake an egg shaker for early childhood language and literacy at the ABC Music & Me booth (#419). Also, it looks like Elvis couldn’t leave the building until he shaked, rattled, and rolled, too!
By Lisa Rowell, on April 18th, 2012
Based on research published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, it may be time to change an old familiar Chinese proverb to read: “Give a child the answer and you help him for a day. Let a child explain the answer and you provide a lifetime of learning.”
A research team led by Bethany Rittle-Johnson, PhD, set out to determine if preschoolers improve learning and transfer by explaining solutions to problems. The researchers asked 54 four- and five-year-olds to indicate which shape came next in a pattern. The preschoolers then received accuracy feedback and were led to explain the correct answers to either their mothers or themselves or to simply repeat the solutions.
Key Findings:
- Explaining solutions to their mothers or themselves improved problem-solving accuracy
- Explaining the solution to their mothers led to the greatest problem-solving transfer
“We knew that children learn well with their moms or with a peer, but we did not know if that was because they were getting feedback and help,” Rittle-Johnson said in the press release “In this study, we just had the children’s mothers listen, without providing any assistance. We’ve found that by simply listening, a mother helps her child learn.”
Research in Action: ABC Music & Me
At ABC Music & Me we know the teaching and learning doesn’t end at the end of the school day. Bridging the learning gap between school and home is a key component of our early literacy and language curriculum. Each month, children enrolled in ABC Music & Me receive home materials, including a Family Activity Guide and music from class. These materials provide parents with the support and guidance they need to fully engage in being their child’s first and best teacher. Plus, children can explain (and show!) through literacy, movement, and musical activities what they are learning.
To learn more about using ABC Music & Me in your classroom, school, or district, email us at info@abcmusicandme.com.
By Lisa Rowell, on April 12th, 2012
New research published in the Teachers College Record journal suggests that consistently good teachers in elementary school can be as equally important to a student’s reading and math scores as small class sizes.
Spyros Konstantopoulos, PhD, reviewed the reading and math scores on standardized tests for thousands of students in Kindergarten through third grade. He found that teachers affect reading and mathematics abilities not only in the current school year but also in subsequent years as well. The effects were more profound in reading than math.
“The findings suggest teacher effects do not fade, but remain strong predictors of student achievement,” said Konstantopoulos in a press release. “Of course we should have the best teachers we can in all grades,” he continued. “But if you have to prioritize resources, perhaps the earlier school years make the most sense because this is where students receive most of the basic skills for reading and math.”
Research in Action: ABC Music & Me
At ABC Music & Me, we know that a teacher’s education—like that of her students—is an ongoing process, which is why creating a research-based early childhood literacy and language program is only part of what we do. We also invest in teacher training to ensure their success in reaching young children. Teacher training can be key to classroom success and teacher job satisfaction so our program includes a combination of a half-day training session, DVD teaching models, and an online teacher resource website.
To learn more about how ABC Music & Me can be used in your classroom, school, or district, contact us at info@abcmusicandme.com.
By Lisa Rowell, on April 11th, 2012
Do you remember the Oompa-Loompas from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl? We don’t normally think about the Oompa-Loompas as early literacy advocates, but long before the American Academy of Pediatrics set the latest guidelines for TV viewing, these characters pleaded: “So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, A lovely bookshelf on the wall.”
While not encouraging families to throw televisions away, a study conducted by Amy Nathanson, PhD and Eric Ramussen, PhD published in the Human Communication Research journal provides even more support for limiting the TV viewing of young children and replacing the activity with reading together.
The team’s research reveals differences in how mothers communicate with their children and respond to them while engaged with TV, toys, and books together. The researchers charted the interactions between 73 mother-child pairs. At random, pairs were asked to read, play, or watch TV together for 10 minutes. After the initial 10 minutes, the pairs chose between any of the activities for another 20 minutes.
Key Findings:
- When reading a book to their children, parents engaged in a more active communication style by introducing them to words they might not normally hear. Consequently, children’s vocabulary and grammatical knowledge improved.
- Watching TV resulted in significantly fewer descriptions and positive responses than reading or playing with toys together.
- The amount of communication involved in reading was not significantly higher than playing with toys. However, the quality of maternal responsiveness was higher in books than toys.
“Reading books together increased the maternal communication beyond a level required for reading, while watching TV decreased maternal communication. This is significant when we consider the amount of time young children spend watching TV. In some cases children are left alone to watch TV, missing out on any parental communication at a critical stage in their development,” concluded Nathanson in a press release.
Research in Action: ABC Music & Me
As creators of an early childhood language and literacy development curriculum, we understand the long-term impact of providing a rich literacy environment for young children, especially in the home. Each month, participating families receive take-home materials filled with fun language and literacy activities, including the story from class. The materials make it easy for parents to engage in activities that promote healthy communication between parents and children.
To learn more about using ABC Music & Me in your classroom, school, or district, email us at info@abcmusicandme.com.
By Lisa Rowell, on April 9th, 2012
During a conversation, making eye contact with another person indicates respect, interest, and understanding. When processing a difficult question or trying to recall a memory, however, a typically developing person generally looks away. For a child with autism, the tendency to avoid eye contact is one of the most common traits. Now new research published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry shows that children with autism look away from faces when thinking, too, especially when processing challenging material.
Researchers at Northumbria University asked 20 children with autism and 18 with William’s Syndrome to carry out mental math tests. Both groups of children exhibited gaze aversion while thinking about the questions. As the questions grew more difficult, their gaze aversion increased.
“Although social skills training is important in encouraging eye contact with children with autism, this research demonstrates that gaze aversion, at a certain point within an interaction, is functional in helping them to concentrate on difficult tasks,” explained lead researcher Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon in a press release.
Research in Action: ABC Music & Me
ABC Music & Me is an early literacy and language program. Our innovative approach offers benefits for children of all abilities, including children with autism. A supplemental guide, organized unit by unit and lesson by lesson, suggests activity adaptations for children with particular needs or impairments. Plus, students with special needs who use ABC Music & Me show gains in literacy and language skills.
To learn more about using ABC Music & Me in your classroom, school, or district, email us at info@abcmusicandme.com.
By Lisa Rowell, on April 5th, 2012
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS), adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia, help educators provide a common experience of high quality education for all children, no matter where they live. These standards help share best practices across state lines for building the best lessons possible.
ABC Music & Me uses music and movement to teach young children early literacy and language skills. The curriculum aligns to the CCSS and provides teachers support to meet the CCSS for Language Arts.
Five ways ABC Music & Me helps teachers meet the CCSS:
- Our Storytime feature gives teachers ways to ask and answer questions about key details such as the plot or the characters. We know that children benefit from hearing the story multiple times, so it’s repeated weekly in each unit for the children to become familiar with plot, characters, settings, and main events. These tie directly to standards.
- Our Hosted Teaching CDs provide brief introductions with key information about a story’s topic and setting. In the second half of each unit, lessons pose a range of recall, inferential, compare/contrast, and beyond-the-text questions. At the end of storytime, the lessons give children opportunities to ask or answer questions about the story that can help deepen their understanding of the story or subject. Again, these interactions tie directly to the common core standards.
- Our songs and poems use rhyme to improve phonological awareness. Research shows that lyrics can help young children improve their comprehension and build their vocabulary and listening skills (Marchionda, 1995). Plus, the engaging nature of music helps motivate young children to learn. And, of course, building vocabulary, comprehension and listening skills are all part of the core standards.
- All of ABC Music & Me’s storytimes, songs, poems, rhymes, and rituals inspire children to acquire vocabulary incidentally by reading and listening to stories. The texts’ illustrations and activities give children tools to learn new vocabulary through both seeing and doing. To ensure comprehension, teachers often pause the Hosted Teaching CD and ask questions to assess learning as well as answer student questions.
- Each unit also includes explicit vocabulary instruction. Words essential to songs and poems appear on picture cards and are introduced through direct instruction or by modeling during group discussions. Research supports the use of direct vocabulary instruction, including the effectiveness of having young children learn robust, academic words (Beck, McKeown & Kucan, 2002).
These are just a few of the ways that ABC Music & Me helps teachers meet the Common Core State Standards. To learn more, email us at info@abcmusicandme.com.
Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. New York: Guilford Press
Marchionda, D.B. (1995). “Literacy Through Lyrics: A Review of the Literature.” The New England Reading Association, 31(2), 10-19.
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