Music & Lyrics: Songs During Storytime

“Baby Shark, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo, Baby Shark…etc.” That song has circled the globe and infiltrated the ears and minds of millions. And now, it will be stuck in your head all day – you’re welcome. Believe it or not, “Baby Shark,” is a good thing, because music promotes early literacy. Stevie Wonder once said, “Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand.”

During storytimes at Citrus Libraries, music is woven throughout the program.  Playing with rhythm, sounds, and words during early childhood development grows literacy skills. Sometimes, children can become overwhelmed by the buzz of adult voices conversing all around them. It’s hard to break down that mash of sounds into intelligible words. Singing, however, slows down those words, breaks up syllables and puts them into a rhythm – makes them easier to hear, decipher, and repeat. Learning simple melodies, rhymes, and chants helps children develop the skills they need to become active, effective communicators.

Listening to a story being read is great, but sometimes children will zone out. Singing a song, however, requires active listening and concentration. Learning songs and repeating them over and over helps kids pay attention. The repetition not only promotes phonological awareness, it also builds vocabulary.

There is a silly song I borrowed from a brilliant Canadian librarian called, “Bread on My Head.” It combines vocabulary words for food with parts of the body – double duty. A local patron shared an anecdote about her toddler son, let’s call him, “Ricky,” who has made that song a part of his bedtime routine. While on a recent road trip, Mom heard Ricky mumbling in the back seat. She looked behind to check on him, and lo and behold he was softly singing, “Bread on My Head,” as his own head began to loll into nap position. Ricky is only two, but he knows all the words! The Youth Librarians make a practice of using the same opening song (for me it’s, “Wheels on the Bus”) and closing song (“If You’re Happy and You Know It”) every week. The children enjoy the satisfaction of singing songs they have already mastered – it gives them a boost of confidence, a sense of accomplishment, and makes them want to show off a little.

Even if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket, sing with your kids/grandkids/the neighbor kids. À la Karen Carpenter, “Don’t worry if it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear – just sing.” It’s good for you, and for kiddos’ developing brains, too.

For more insights on reading and literacy, check out a library storytime in person, online via our YouTube channel, @CitrusLibrariesDigital, or stop by a branch to see one of our Youth Librarians. You can also visit our website at www.citruslibraries.org, or follow us @CitrusLibraries on Facebook or Instagram for more information.