Now that Halloween has passed, thoughts move on to the holidays of fall and winter: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s. And of course, it’s a natural progression that gift-giving (and buying) become high-priority items on many to-do lists.
As an elementary music educator, if you want to encourage the young ones in your life outside of the elementary music classroom to value not only music, but reading as well, there’s no better combination than a beautifully illustrated picture book with an accompanying CD that can be read and listened to over and over again. Studies show that arts education directly correlates with improvements in children’s reading abilities.
It’s best to begin early, and while your elementary music classroom is a great place to encourage music and reading, it’s always nice to think beyond the school setting and the elementary music classroom itself. Get parents involved. Even if a child can’t read, the parent reading to them is a huge stepping stone to developing that child into a lifelong reader.
Lifelong readers become lifelong learners. According to the Children’s Reading Foundation “Without the ability to read, excellence in…school and beyond is unattainable.” That’s a pretty powerful statement, right? We think so, too, and if there’s ever a way to bring music, reading, and lifelong learning into the same equation, we’re all for it. Consider a music [education] picture book/CD for all those little learners on your Holiday gift list!
For more great book/CD ideas, browse the latest edition of our Pender’s Music Co. Elementary Music catalog curriculum section.