RM Winter 2016 FLIP

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Reading Matters
Teaching Matters
| 42| Reading Matters | Volume 16 • Winter 2016 |
which they performed for the whole class on the day of the
poetry slam. Using something the students were interested
in, songwriting, generated an authentic assessment, and it
represented their full understanding of the literary concepts that
had been the focus of instruction. Additionally, it gave them an
opportunity to experience something they loved and felt capable
of doing. Their attitude towards writing the song was vastly
different from their initial reluctance to write original poetry.
Music provides an informal, positive environment and
makes learning enjoyable; singing while learning gives children
a chance to be successful and to build self-esteem when
students may be frustrated by their performance in other
subjects (Overy, 2000). English language learners, especially,
may feel safer and able to take risks when a positive attitude
toward learning is present and accompanied by experiences
that promote language learning (Paquette & Rieg, 2008). Thus,
including music in the poetry unit reduced the pressure that
an unfamiliar subject often has on students, allowing them
to thrive in a positive and enjoyable learning environment.
A few studies conducted with older students provide similar
results. Hines (2010) documented the progress of several
adolescent students with learning disabilities. The students were
resistant to reading instruction and had poor progress; song
lyrics served as the instrument of change, producing increased
ability in phonics, decoding, and word recognition. Biggs, Homan,
Dedrick, & Rasinski (2008) found that repeated reading and singing
of lyrics aided struggling middle-schoolers who made greater
reading progress than those in a comparison intervention group.
Music Supports Language Learning for
English Language Learners
Language learning programs that incorporate music and
songs have been especially effective in the education of English
Language Learners [ELLs] (Fisher, 2001; Lems, 2002; Peregoy
& Boyle, 2008). The repetition in songs allows students to hear
words and phrases numerous times, making songs easy to follow
(Paquette & Rieg, 2008). Murphey (1992) suggests that lyrics in
songs are effective tools because they contain high frequency
vocabulary and have fewer referents that may confuse language
learners. In a longitudinal study of kindergarten-first grade children
who spoke Spanish at home, 80 students were randomly selected
and assigned to one of four classrooms (Fisher, 2001), staying with
the same teacher for two years of instruction. Two of the teachers
incorporated music into the literacy block during while the other
two teachers did not. Unannounced observations occurred in each
classroom across the two years. Pre- and post-assessments were
collected on all students. Findings indicated that the students
who experienced music in their classroom performed significantly
better on the Student Oral Language Observation Matrix
[SOLOM] (California Department of Education, 1981), averaging
13.2 on the SOLOM compared to 8.4 for students without music.
Likewise, children whose literacy program was combined with
music performed significantly higher on the Yopp-Singer Test of
Phoneme Segmentation (Yopp, 1995), averaging 19.5 versus 17.1.
The classrooms integrating music into their instructional activities
outperformed the other classes on the Yopp-Singer Test of
Phonemic Segmentation (Fisher, 2001). Although progress on the
third assessment, the Developmental Reading Assessment [DRA]
(Beaver, 1997) was less widespread, ten students in the “music
rich” classroom were reading at grade level in English and Spanish;
only one student in the classroom without music was reading
at grade level. Music and songs were incorporated into morning
opening, word work, centers, content areas, and instructional
units. Further information about classroom differences and music
incorporation can be explored at
As Fisher (2001) and many other experts cited in this article
suggest, music has the ability to promote many components
of literacy. It does not take away from other subjects or aspects
of the curriculum; instead, it can be incorporated as literacy
materials or tools throughout the day. The observations
conducted in the Fisher study suggest that music influenced
more enthusiastic demeanors from the teachers and a
classroom climate that represented general excitement and
joy for learning. It is hard to frown when you are singing!
References
Almasi, J. F. & Fullerton, S. K. (2012). Teaching strategic processes in reading(2nd
ed.). New York, NY: Guilford.
Anvari, S., Trainor, L., Woodside, J., & Levy, B. (2002). Relations among musical
skills, phonological processing, and early reading ability in preschool children.
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 83(2), 111-130.
Beaver, J. (1997). Developmental Reading Assessment: Resource Guide.
Parsippany, NJ: Celebration Press.
Biggs, M., Homan, S., Dedrick, R., & Rasinski, T. (2008). Using an interactive
singing software program: A comparative study of middle school struggling
readers.Reading Psychology, An International Quarterly, 29(3), 195-213.
California State Department of Education. (1981). Student Oral Language
Observational Matrix. Sacramento, CA: Office of Bilingual Bicultural Education.
Fisher, D. (2001). Early language learning with and without music. Reading
Horizons, 42(1), 39-40.
Green, J. (2014). For Pete’s sake. Atlanta Magazine. (September 12, 2014).
Retrieved from
Hansen, D., & Bornstorf, E. (2002). Linking music learning to reading instruction.
Music Educators Journal, 88(5), 17-52.
Harp, B. (1988). When the principal asks:“Why are your kids singing during
reading time?”The Reading Teacher, 41(4), 454-456.
Hines, S. (2010). Name that word. Using song lyrics to improve the decoding skills
of adolescents with learning disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(1),
16-21.