3 Reasons Why You Should Sing Books with Your Kids!

Did you know that one of the best ways to get your child ready to read is to sing with them? When you pair a book with a song, you up the ante even more! Below are 3 reasons why children’s books you can sing offer a great way to get kids ready to read!

FYI…Don’t even worry if you think you aren’t a great singer. Children do not care if you can’t carry a tune, so sing out! They’ll simply love that you are spending time having fun together.

1. Singing a book instantly engages a child’s brain. Because music affects multiple regions of the brain, when a child is listening to a book being sung, both hemispheres are working. One side of the brain processes the words while the other processes the music.
2. Singing books reinforce narrative skills or the ability to retell a story because they are more likely to remember the story. When children actively participate in the telling of the tale rather than passively listen, their level of focused attention is heightened. This is especially true for books that have repeated lines or rhyming words. Attention=retention. End of story:)
3. Singing teaches children how to break down words into smaller parts. When words are sung, they are naturally broken down into smaller sounds. This is the rhythmic element of language that allows it to pair so well with music. By highlighting each syllable in a word, more focus and awareness is given to it. This experience helps children get ready to read independently teaching them how to break down words into bite-sized pieces.

Books to Sing!

So where would one find books that are singable you ask? You’ve come to the right place, because I have that answer!

While many books that have a rhyming pattern work well to add a tune to, it may be difficult to come up with a catchy tune on your own if this is a new concept. That’s where piggyback songs come in.

Now if you aren’t sure what piggy back songs are, check out my blog post here. The great thing about these tunes is you already know many of them so being able to fit in the words of the story into the tune is fairly easy.

Below is a list to get you started. Who knows, maybe after singing a few of these books, you’ll find yourself writing one of your own! That’s actually just what I did when I taught the butterfly life cycle.

I figured out what I wanted the book to include content wise, then I chose a familiar song and wrote the words to both rhyme and fit into the rhythm of the song! Be sure to get a FREE copy of the “Butterfly Life Cycle” book by clicking here!. I set it to the tune of “Up On the Housetop”.

If you have a favorite book set to a song, be sure to comment below so we can add it to the list!

Books set to piggyback songs:

• I’ve Been Learning My Alphabet by Jocelyn Manzanarez
• The Wheels on the Racecar by Alex Zane, illustrated by James Warhola 
• This Jazz Man by Karen Erhardt, illustrated by R.G. Roth
• Yankee Doodle by Mary Ann Hoberman and Nadine Bernard Westcott
• The Ants Go Marching by Maurie Manning
• Waking Up Is Hard To Do by Neil Sedaka, illustrated by Daniel Miyares
• If You’re a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley
• If You’re Happy and You Know It: Jungle Edition by James Warhola
• The Croaky Pokey by Ethan Long
• The Babies on the Bus by Karen Katz
• Take Me Out of the Bathtub by Alan Katz, illustrated by David Catrow
• I’m Still Here in the Bathtub by Alan Katz , illustrated by David Catrow
• On Top of the Potty by Alan Katz , illustrated by David Catrow