The Singing and Reading Connection

Part Two

Can you believe it? I got lost on the way to this one, so I flew to Dallas the following day to attend it the next morning. I figured out later that I just hadn't gone far enough. It sure looked like I had left the city on the way to the convention.

The Singing Reading Connection was a workshop presented by Shirley Handy and The National Education Network at the Wyndham Hotel, Greenspoint in Houston, Texas, though I actually attended the session in Dallas. Their focus is on "Creating a Brain Friendly, Integrated Classroom". The development of this workshop began when Ms. Handy began working with Raffi in 1989. They both believe in music and it's ability to reach every child. They also believe that music has an undeniable part in the education of every child. It should not be viewed as an extra or fill-in subject. Rather it should be viewed as a basic part of every curriculum as an essential learning block.

Within this context, the method presented in the Singing Reading Connections workshop is a means of teaching children to read through singing. The emphasis is not just reading. Children love music and love to sing; so Ms. Handy and Raffi have taken this interest and applied it to reading and learning concepts. The methods described in this workshop help the children learn more effectively and quickly by strengthening their reading skills using rhythms and music to re-enforce the reading lesson.

A complete music program will take advantage of several experiences. It will allow the children to be involved in movement, rhythm, and listening experiences that relate to their lesson content. By allowing a child's imagination to explore the lesson’s content through musical activities, the child becomes more actively engaged in the lesson than they might have if the lesson was less interesting.

Singing/Reading Connection:  For information regarding Singing/Reading Connection, call 1-800-53-SONGS. Student receive discounts. 

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