All weekend I (Yiola) have experienced spontaneous musical encounters. Take for example sitting next to a 16 person chorus who spontaneously serenades my friends and me while dining at a local tex/mex restaurant. Or listening to my children sing Old Macdonald Had a Farm in the back seat of the car. These moments of ‘musical interlude’ have left me feeling inspired and intrigued about the power of music on the psyche, the emotions, and on teaching literacy.
A quick search online led me to several interesting and research-based articles on literacy learning through music. I will share these links with my student teachers. In my course we explore music education: music as a subject, music curriculum, music pedagogy, music integration. The links below add an exceptional layer of consideration for teaching music and literacy.
Click to access placing_music_en.pdf
Click to access impact_of_music_on_literacy.pdf
http://oneotareadingjournal.com/2012/learning-literacy-through-music/
Not only do research findings support literacy development through music, we also know that music, like an incredible book, touches the soul and ignites emotion. Brain development AND inspiration. A likely combination for student achievement.
I conclude this post with a brief video of another spontaneous musical encounter; this one between a 19 year old student and Billy Joel. I share this link not only for the music but for the power of relationship between student (confident, risk-taker) and expert (open, trusting, willing to explore possibilities). The music AND the experience gave me goosebumps. “That’s Michael Pollock. Remember that name”, says the teacher…
Literacy Teaching and Teacher Education 