music

Music helps with creativity and enhances literacy instruction, as well as providing a learning environment wherer children can thrive. Gardner (1993) noted that music is the 1st intelligence to emerge in young learners. Furthermore, children's inital introduction to text is through songs, chants, and rhymes, which continue through childhood. One of the main goals, as an ELL teacher is to create an anxiety free classroom becuase the stress of a foreign environment can block learning, thus music can offer the relaxed atmosphere for learning.

Music I choose Dr. Jean because she adds such spark and flavor to the classroom. By far, my all time favorite is, "The Too-tee-ta." This fun song starts simple enough by having you pulling your elbows up and back, feet apart, but as the song progresses, so do the positions, for example, at one point you have to keep your knees together while your elbows are up, and don't forget to stick your tongue out. The song creates an atmosphere of laughter, especially when the teacher (me) indicates to the students that it is so easy to follow the steps, until she (me) can no longer keep my balance. One of the most important aspects of a kindergarteners life is graduation/celebration ceremony. While the other classroom were performing the more traditional, yet memoriable songs, my kids were practicing the Too-tee-ta. The best part, my kids had been doing the song and dance for most of the year, so when it came time to stand in front of their families, well it was a piece of cake, and the families loved the performance.

Cold Play-song with grammar This site is like reading a menu from, "Denny's," or "I-Hop," becuase there is so much to pick and choose from, starting with the many languages, such as, Spanish, French, Turkish, and many more. I like several aspects of the site because they recommend small groups, there are hands-on activities, and there is movement with music. In addition, the focus is with grammar, writing, and speaking, whether it is through a nursery rhyme, or the Beatles. Moreover, the site ranges from Classical Literature to study tips, then there is technology, plus vocabulary building. For example, with the vocabulary the site ties idioms with music, such as, "To drum something in," means to keep repeating until something is remembered. As a teacher of ELL adolescents, I firmly believe in challenging the students such as the vocabulary activity, to allowing the use and influence of music into the classroom becuase it is what they like, and it is how they grow as students.

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