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The EduTunes Blog
Thanks so much for visiting my blog! My goal is to give you lots of ideas that you can begin using immediately in your classroom--mixed with the latest research--in order to ACCELERATE learning for your students. Thanks, "Miss Jenny" "From rap, to rock, to reggae, to swing, Children LOVE to learn as they sing!" |
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I hope this song can make a difference for you and your children during this difficult time. Washing hands is the best way to stop the spread of Coronavirus and other infections. This song will teach your children to scrub for a long time--on top of their hands, between their fingers, and underneath their fingernails. I've included two versions below. The first one focuses on the words. Encourage children to read as they sing. The second version shows "Miss Jenny" (me) doing the motions. Encourage children to act out the song as it plays to make washing hands memorable and fun. "Wash Your Hands" Version 1: Read!"Wash Your Hands" Version 2: Motions
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I hope you enjoy "Making 11-20." Children learn three ways to demonstrate the base 10 system. When you sing, use different teaching strategies. At first, just watch and learn. Later, invite students to hold up their hands with partners to make the numbers. Students can also write down numbers on white boards. Other times, they can move base 10 blocks as the song plays. This song is one of over 30 videos from the kindergarten and first grade math video sets.
Here are some more ideas for making a variety of music videos work for you: 1. "Coview" videos with children. According to the “Early Learning and Educational Technology Policy Brief” developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2016), coviewing means not only watching videos with children—but also creating learning opportunities before, during, and after viewing them. 2. Discuss viewing behaviors. Decide on behaviors that make sense for your class, depending on the song. I've described ideas for "Making 11-20" above. You could ask students to vote on which option to choose each time you sing. Note that small changes in expectations can result in big behavioral changes. For instance, if students are playing with manipulatives instead of showing song concepts, consider asking them to watch and read with their hands in their laps next time. Practice with manipulatives before singing another time, so that children know exactly what to do before trying again. 3. Choose a focus. I often include everything there is to know about a topic in a video. For instance, I've incorporated three ways to show numbers here. The idea is that children should learn something new each time they sing. Choose a focus, or simply ask children to find something new that they notice before the video plays. After the video, you will have the opportunity to do a mini-formative assessment as children share discoveries, misconceptions, and questions. 4. Connect to real-world situations. Whether children are reading, solving math problems, or engaging in STEM activities, connect to related content from videos. Connecting to song content can help students to perform real-world activities. In addition, they are more likely to recall the activity whenever they later review the video. 5. Ask children to point to the words. Pointing to words has been a huge incentive for my students. They can point to words in videos or lyric pages that you project. You can purchase a fun pointer, or just use a meter stick. I’ve found that when I say, “If you’re really focusing on learning something new, you may have a chance to point to words on the next song,” children become much more focused. You may be surprised that some of your lowest pre-readers will successfully point to words. It turns out that musical intelligence is the first of Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences to develop in young minds. Children internalize the rhythm of music as they find the words. 6. Use lyric sheets. Think of videos as a mix between modeled reading and shared reading. When children point to lyric sheets as they video plays, they are now moving between shared reading and independent reading. You may want to use lyric sheets in whole-group, small-group, partner, or independent reading time, with or without the music. 7. Create student-centered rubrics. Songs are a great starting point for student-centered rubrics. After singing, ask children what they should know about a topic. For instance, in the song “Making 11-20,” students may say:
Perhaps you had a rubric in mind before introducing the song. As a teacher, I let my children know that I value their ideas--and I contribute as the editor. Sometimes, the class "comes up" with my ideas or I end up modifying ideas a little bit to fit my our needs. To be honest, I'm often happily surprised when their new, fresh, child-centered ideas help to mold my original thoughts into something better!
Reference
King, J., Doggett, L., South, J., Burwell, S., Smith, L., and Rudisill, S. (2016). “Early Learning and Educational Technology Policy Brief.” Office of Educational Technology. Retrieved from https://tech.ed.gov/earlylearning/.
Who Remembers the "ABC" Song?
Everyone! Of course, this song is ingrained in our brains. If the traditional alphabet song has been so powerful in our lives, why not multiply its effects by 350? That's what I've tried to do with my music. Today, I'd like to share a chant called "ABC Fun" that introduces (or reviews) each letter, sound, and example in two minutes. It's part of my Early Reading and Phonics Time sets. Feel free to use it every single day in your classroom!
Research Basis
Ways to Use the ABC Chant
You can do several things to maximize learning in your classroom:
Start the Day With a Smile!
Is there a better way to start the day than smiling first thing every morning? How about smiling and singing? This song will get your class smiling, singing, reading, and learning to say "good morning" in four different languages first thing each day. I hope you can use it every single morning when you teach.
Research on EduTunes: How smiling and singing will help your kids learn MORE!
I hope you see that this song is fun and motivational, but will it help your students learn? YES! First, I'd like to share some research about my songs with you. Ayfer Kokabas published a paper called "Using songs in mathematics instruction: A pilot application." She found that children enjoyed learning more when they sang Edutunes math songs--and their achievement increased significantly. She concluded that decreased anxiety and increased positive attitudes contributed to the higher scores. While she did not study this song directly, you can see that a motivational morning song can help children to start the day with a positive mindset.
Visible Learning: More research-based strategies on promoting learning
Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement is the title of a book by John Hattie. It has been described as the most comprehensive analysis to date of studies on how children learn. Hattie analyzed over 800 meta-analyses, which together studied over 240 million students, and he then ordered 138 strategies in terms of learning effectiveness. Below are three of the most effective researched strategies--and how "Start the Day With a Smile" fits in.
Visible Learning Strategy 1: "Teacher-student relationships"
According to John Hattie, establishing positive teacher-student relationships is the #11 most powerful "Visible Learning" strategy. The FIRST thing I do each morning is stand at my door and say "Good morning" to my children in any language they choose. I teach them to look at me, choose a way to say "good morning," and wait for my response before entering class. They can choose from one of the four languages used in the song--or they may greet me in another language. In this way, we connect and foster a relationship as they enter the classroom. Next, we sing this song. My students took a poll about their thoughts on this routine. They overwhelmingly said this procedure made them happy to be in school. Try it--and ask your children what they think as your own mini-research project.
Visible Learning Strategy 2: "Classroom behavioral"
Hattie uses the term "Classroom behavioral" to refer to studies indicating that classroom behavior is the #6 factor in influencing learning. How can this song affect classroom behavior? It helps to:
Visible Learning Strategy 3: "Repeated reading programs"
Repeated reading is the #16 most effective "Visible Learning" strategy for promoting student success. All of my songs can be used as part of your reading program. When I first started writing songs for kids, I wrote all words on large posters. Children would take turns using a pointer to point to words as we sang. Next, I started photocopying pages with words. Children would point to their own papers as they sang. Later, I made the videos. They are great for modeling reading to students. I also sometimes project words onto the whiteboard. I feel that all these strategies are complementary ways to promote reading--so I recommend using them all.
More!
Additional research indicates that songs promote learning. Songs help with relaxation and stress management. They also promote brain wave activation and fostering creativity. They are a vehicle for both conscious and subconscious information transmission. In addition, you can see that this song promotes four of Gardner's Multiple Intelligences:
I truly hope my songs make a difference in your classroom. I'd love to hear your feedback! Thanks, "Miss Jenny"
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Welcome!Thanks for reading my blog. I'm excited to help you to incorporate evidence-based practices in your classroom or home. Archives
March 2020
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