The author describes how the songs can make phonics effective, easy to teach, and fun for children.

How children are taught matters. The brain processes words differently when they are sung. With songs, even children with learning problems can learn to read through joy, not humiliation.”

— Matthew Glavach

CLOVERDALE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, October 13, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — While many children respond to phonics, what happens to those who do not? More of the same? This led the author Matthew Glavach, Ph.D. to search for interventions for struggling readers who had not responded to phonics, and he became interested in the role of prosody, the melody of language, and its importance to reading. This research led the author to find ways to improve phonics instruction by including prosody. It would be through songs. While prosody helps with fluency, meaning, and interest, the addition of songs includes even greater advantages, especially for children from challenged learning environments.

Music with lyrics helps develop reading skills. The rhythm in songs is slower than speech and there is more separation of sounds This helps children improve auditory discrimination for sounds and develop the sounds for letters necessary for reading. The words in songs help in the development of language. Music is in almost every part of the brain. If one pathway is weak, music can help open others. With practice, songs build stronger connections between the right and left sides of the brain and can bring many to reading. Songs have the power to rewire the brain.
Learning to read requires attention, engagement, and repetition, all a part of singing.

How children are taught matters. The brain processes words differently when they are sung. With songs, even children with learning problems can learn to read through joy, not humiliation.

The author’s program PHONICS SONGS plus for grades one and two is based on original instructional song lyrics written by the author with the music and songs by Donny and Marie Osmond. PHONICS SONGS plus has important phonics skills embedded in each song and hundreds of high frequency reading words appropriate for grades one and two. The thirty-three songs cover major phonics skills for grades one and two. The program is based on a first-grade study using only songs and chanting that showed significant improvement in reading and attitude over traditional phonics.

https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/280/ content

A difficulty with using songs for reading is that children often memorize the songs, and the words are in sequential memory. The author uses a finger-point reading activity with each song that has students identify words quickly putting the words into long-term memory and available for reading. A difficulty with songs on a computer screen is that many children cannot follow the bouncing ball. Children need to point to each word.

PHONICS SONGS plus is for all students, including students with reading difficulty and English as a Second Language. The program is easy to use by parents and teachers and can be used as a phonics program or to supplement a phonics program, and for those of us who go back a few years, Donny and Marie bring fond memories. The program is available at the author’s website: StrugglingReaders.com. and Amazon for 7.95 for the Songs and Instruction Book and 14.95 for the CD of Songs for each grade level.

Matthew Glavach
Glavach & Associates, StrugglingReaders.com
+1 707-894-5047
email us here

Matthew Glavach
Glavach & Associates, StrugglingReaders.com
+1 707-894-5047
email us here