SING AND DANCE YOUR WAY THROUGH FIRST GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS
Kristin Yarbrough
B.A., California State University, Sacramento, 2006
PROJECT
Submitted in partial satisfaction of
the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
in
EDUCATION
(Curriculum and Instruction)
at
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO
FALL
2011
SING AND DANCE YOUR WAY THROUGH FIRST GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS
A Project
by
Kristin Yarbrough
Approved by:
_______________________________________________, Committee Chair
Frank Lilly, Ph.D.
______________________________________________
Date
ii
Student: Kristin Yarbrough
I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University
format manual, and that this project is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to
be awarded for the Project.
__________________________________, Department Chair
Rita Johnson, Ed.D.
Department of Teacher Education
iii
________________
Date
Abstract
of
SING AND DANCE YOUR WAY THROUGH FIRST GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS
by
Kristin Yarbrough
Given the current lack of funding for schools within the state of California, music
education has become a low priority and teachers have resorted to scripted texts to teach
reading and writing. The project Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade
Language Arts was created with the intent to motivate teachers to integrate music back
into education and inspire students to become better writers. The goal of the project is to
increase retention of grammar rules through a curriculum that is creative, fun, and
effective. This project engaged students in the process of learning and assisted in their
mastery of language arts concepts instructed during Grade 1.
__________________________________________, Committee Chair
Frank Lilly, Ph.D.
__________________________________
Date
iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author expresses deep gratitude to the students, teachers, parents, and
administrators in the learning communities of Our Lady of the Assumption School and
the Capitol Campus of the California Montessori Project who contributed to the
development of Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts.
Special thanks are extended to Frank Lilly, my thesis advisor, for his brilliant
insights and continuous guidance during the writing process.
Immense appreciation is given to my father, Keith Yarbrough, for his incessant
question of “How’s the thesis going?” and father-daughter hugs; my mother, Catherine
Montgomery-Yarbrough, for her emotional support and positive attitude; my sister, Katie
Yarbrough, for her endless patience and extensive musical expertise; and all of the
friends and extended family who spent endless time listening to my ideas, reading my
drafts, and providing insightful guidance.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Sing and Dance You Way Through First Grade Language Arts ....................................... iv
Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1
Purpose of the Project ............................................................................................. 1
Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................ 2
Significance of the Project ...................................................................................... 2
Limitations .............................................................................................................. 3
Definition of Terms................................................................................................. 4
Organization of the Thesis ...................................................................................... 5
2. REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE ................................................................... 6
Introduction and Rationale ...................................................................................... 6
Previous Uses of Music in Curriculum ................................................................... 7
Music and the Brain ................................................................................................ 9
Movement and the Brain ....................................................................................... 11
Learning and the Brain.......................................................................................... 14
Effects of Music on Learning ............................................................................... 15
Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 19
3. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 21
Setting ................................................................................................................... 22
Participants ............................................................................................................ 23
Curriculum ............................................................................................................ 23
Procedure .............................................................................................................. 24
4. SUMMARY, LIMITATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSION ...... 26
Summary ............................................................................................................... 26
Limitations ............................................................................................................ 27
vi
Recommendations ................................................................................................. 28
Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 28
Appendix A A Curriculum Supplement .......................................................................... 31
“Capitalization”....................................................................................................... 3
“Possessive Pronouns” ............................................................................................ 4
“Ed”......................................................................................................................... 5
“The King of I-N-G” ............................................................................................... 6
“Sentences” ............................................................................................................. 7
“Types of Sentences” .............................................................................................. 8
“Quotation Marks” .................................................................................................. 9
Appendix B Content of Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language
Arts ............................................................................................................ 26
References ......................................................................................................................... 29
vii
1
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Purpose of the Project
In 1997, the California State Board of Education adopted the English Language
Arts’ (ELA) content standards to clarify the expected knowledge, concepts, and skills
students would acquire at each grade level. These standards are then adopted by the state
of California to encourage the highest level of academic achievement from students and
of education from its teachers. Originally enacted in 2001 and then reauthorized in 2008,
the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was designed to close an observed gap in
achievement of these state standards nationwide. The NCLB Act mandated schools to
have an “increased focus on the fundamentals of academic preparation in lieu of a
broader education” (Hannaford, 1995, p. 182). According to the NCLB Act, each state
would demonstrate that they had developed and implemented a uniform system of
accountability. The state of California chose to monitor academic achievement in math
and language arts by requiring students to take California Standardized Tests (CSTs) such
as the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) exam every spring from grades two
through eleven. Twenty-two percent of STAR exam questions are focused on written and
oral English language conventions. As Eisner (1998) stated, “Teachers and school
administrators are required to provide an account in forms that, for many, miss what they
care about the most” (p. 109). This “most” that Eisner refers to likely means curricular
subjects outside of math and language arts such as social studies, art, and music. The
intent of this curriculum is to increase student retention of these written and oral English
2
language conventions in hopes that students will not only score higher on their CSTs, but
become better writers overall.
The purpose of Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts
was to supplement a curriculum for Grade 1 language arts with music and movement. In
doing so, the author hoped to conclude whether students would retain Grade 1 rules of
grammar more successfully had they been taught with song and movement. It was also
designed to encourage general education teachers to bring music back into the classroom
and to motivate students to become better writers by retaining concepts of grammar as
they worked through and progressed beyond Grade 1.
Statement of the Problem
Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts was a query as to
whether implementing music and movement with a Grade 1language arts curriculum
would enhance students’ ability to utilize the instructed grammar concepts. Lyon, Gray,
Kavanagh, and Krasnegor (1993) found that almost fifteen to twenty percent of
elementary school children encounter problems in mastering the reading and spelling
skills. This project engaged students in the process of learning and assisted in their
mastery of language arts concepts instructed during Grade 1.
Significance of the Project
Lewin (2011) reported that across the United States, the average reading score on
the Standard Achievement Test (SAT) fell to 497, the lowest on record. Writing also
dropped two points to 489. Scores on the writing exam have become increasingly lower
3
each of the six years since its first introduction to the SAT. Carroll (1963) reported that,
when exposed to ineffective or insufficient curriculum, high percentages of school
children fail to acquire literacy skills. As a result of participating in music and
movement-infused lessons, students can experience connections being created across
various parts of their brain, enabling them to access previously learned information more
efficiently and effectively. Gazzaniga (1998) found that the brain discards an estimated
99 percent of all sensory information it receives. Thus, it is essential that the significance
of the lesson be emphasized. This can be done by announcing to students that the lessons
to be taught will help them become better writers by utilizing simple, well-known
melodies to align with Grade 1 first grade language arts standards. This supplement was
an example of how music enriched the existing Grade 1 language arts curriculum.
Limitations
A few limitations affected this project. The first limitation was having inadequate
time during the school day for students to learn the songs. While the author was teaching
Grade 1, the school’s curriculum did not allow for much flexibility in instruction. As a
brand new teacher, the author also did not possess the privilege to alter the daily schedule
and the curriculum. The author’s class time usage of this curriculum supplement was
limited to the creation of the songs and sporadic practice of them.
4
Definition of Terms
Basal ganglia: the large masses of gray matter at the base of the brain which, if damaged,
would impair motor abilities.
Body memory: Jensen’s (1998) theory that the body, in addition to the brain, is able to
store memories.
Classroom teacher: a credentialed adult who is responsible for the direct instruction of
students.
Dendrite: the branching process of a neuron that conducts impulses toward the cell.
Motor cortex: a term for describing regions of the cerebral cortex concerned in the
planning, control, and execution of voluntary motor functions.
Procedural memory: one’s memory of how to complete an action.
Scaffolding: an educational strategy in which educators provide specialized instructional
supports such as displaying graphics, activating prior knowledge, modeling an
activity before hand, and using motivational techniques to pique student interest
before introducing students to a new subject.
Semantic memory: one’s memory for meanings and general, impersonal facts.
Sensory cortex: an umbrella term for the primary and secondary cortices of the different
senses.
Simple melody: a tune that is relatively easy to master and repeat.
Synapse: a region where nerve impulses are transmitted and received.
Synaptic transmission: an electrical movement within synapses resulting from circulating
nerve impulses.
5
Organization of the Thesis
This project, Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts, is
divided into four chapters. In Chapter One, the introduction contains the purpose of the
project, the statement of the problem, the significance of the project, the limitations, the
definition of the terms, and the organization of the project. Chapter Two is a review of
the literature relative to the project. Topics include the following: previous uses of music
in curriculum, the relationship between music and the brain, movement and the brain,
learning and the brain, and the effect of music on learning. In Chapter Three, the
methodology will explain how the author was inspired to compose this project. It will
include an overview of the project, the intended participants and setting, and the project
objectives. Finally, Chapter Four will conclude the project by expressing the summary,
limitations, recommendations, and conclusion.
Following Chapter Four are the appendices and references. The appendices
contain the sheet music, a list outlining the curriculum’s content and objectives met, and
a compact disc that the author has created to supplement a language arts curriculum for
Grade 1. The references are found after the appendices.
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Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE
Introduction and Rationale
Music can be found in the elementary school setting in three general scenarios.
Rarely, it is a separate subject in which students focus on an established music education
curriculum appropriate to their grade level. When music is showcased as a separate
subject, the classroom teacher often acts as either a classroom management support or
utilizes this time as a “prep” period to gather lessons and supplies for his or her class.
Occasionally, this time allotted for music instruction, absent from most California public
elementary schools, is designated as a music appreciation focus. Rather than focusing on
specific standards and student instruction or performance, students are merely exposed to
different types of music playing in the background. Finally, as a result of budget crises
and subsequent lack of funding, the most common scenario is that music has been
eliminated from the elementary school setting entirely or is limited to what the general
education teacher is willing (and/or able) to bring into the classroom, which may be as
minimal as playing a compact disc (CD) or using digital media (i.e. an iPod playlist)
through the stereo during class time.
In response to modern culture’s regard for music, or lack thereof, Solusa
(2006) wrote the following:
The arts are rarely thought of as survival skills, but rather as
frills—the esthetic product of a wealthy society with lots of time to
spare. People pay high ticket prices to see the arts performed
7
professionally, leading to the belief that the arts are highly valued.
This cultural support often is seen in high schools, which have
their choruses, bands, drama classes and an occasional dance
troupe.
Yet seldom do public elementary schools enjoy this continuous
support. When school budgets get tight, elementary-level art and
music programs are among the first to be reduced or eliminated.
Now, pressure from the No Child Left Behind Act to improve
reading and mathematics achievement is prompting elementary
schools to trade off instruction in the arts for more classroom
preparation for the mandatory high-stakes tests. (p.26)
The recent literature discusses previous uses of music in curriculum, the effect of
music on the brain, the effect of movement on the brain, the relationship between
learning and the brain, expectations of the English-Language Arts Content Standards for
California Public Schools (Grade 1), and the effect of music on learning.
Previous Uses of Music in Curriculum
In 1997, Brown wrote, “Music is a central element in the lives of people from all
cultures. It appeals to our emotions, and contributes to our ability to learn and remember
information. Music forms a natural bridge to literacy.” Decades ago, music was once a
cornerstone for education. Hoffer (1982) recorded the American Association of School
Administrators (AASA) as stating that they “believe in a well-balanced curriculum in
which music … and the like are included side by side with other important subjects such
8
as mathematics, history, and science” (p. 6). Likewise, Nye (1967) designated that, in an
ideal school curriculum, music would illuminate essential traits of a social studies
curriculum, and in turn, social studies would intensify musical interest and understanding.
Evidently, music was considered important in terms of a child’s education and in
educational research at one time. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case in
recent research.
Despite the decline of specialized music programs in elementary schools, music
has been identified as a valuable tool in aiding curriculum. Tate (2003) suggests that
teachers include opportunities for students to demonstrate major concepts they have
learned during a lesson by creating raps, rhymes, poems, or songs. Music may be the key
to enabling students of all ages to express what they have learned. In reference to
kindergarteners, Meisels, Stetson, and Marsden (2000) report that children’s “minds are
full of ideas, experiences, and emotions. For many children this age, talking or writing
about their ideas is difficult; expressing them through the arts is easier” (p. 48). Perhaps
this is because they find themselves unable to write successfully, making writing less
enjoyable. A vicious cycle between motivation and skill occurs. Students who are less
motivated may become disengaged during writing lessons, leading to not learning
grammar lessons in class and resulting in a missed opportunity to improve their writing.
Poor writing skills may then, in turn, lead to an even deeper decline in motivation to learn
the skills necessary to improve.
Ladson-Billings (1993) wrote about educator and teacher-trainer Harriet Ball.
Ball’s approach to education uses music to directly teach the math and language arts
9
standards. She has been noted as an instructor who utilizes “creative strategies culled
from African American culture” through chants, dances, raps, and songs to engage her
students (p. 92).
According to Vialle (1997), educational philosophy transitioned from a teachercentered approach to a student-centered approach. Educators began to focus on
developing the whole child, not just from an academic standpoint, but from a personal
side as well. Gardner’s (2003) nine multiple intelligences: (1) linguistic; (2) logicalmathematical; (3) spatial; (4) bodily kinesthetic; (5) musical; (6) interpersonal; (7)
intrapersonal; (8) naturalist; and (9) existential intelligence encouraged teachers to focus
on students’ individual needs by providing the freedom of a broad spectrum of possible
teaching methods. Typical strategies based on musical intelligence would be singing,
creating raps, chanting, or listening to background music.
Music serves as a method for making learning enjoyable. Benner (1975) announced
as president of the Music Educators National Conference that every teacher’s goal is to
make learning pleasurable, regardless of the subject. He went on to say that “music
education is a key to other disciplines” (p. 39). Thornburg (2006) also noted that singing
songs and playing musical games is one of the best ways to support phonemic awareness
and develop spoken language.
Music and the Brain
The author’s experience in teaching a Grade 1 class has led to the following
observations. Students have readily recalled lyrics to popular songs within the first few
bars of a familiar melody; however, they are unable to recall information learned the day
10
before during a traditional-style lesson (i.e. no singing in the lesson). According to
renowned American jingle composer, Steve Karmen (1989), music is a “universal
communicator” that reaches beyond cultural boundaries across generations of students
because it is the most easily recognized method of communication. Researchers have
found, too, that the human brain is structured to work harmoniously with music. Jensen
(2001) stated that through the activation and synchronization of neurons’ firing patterns,
music actually connects multiple parts of the brain. Since a song’s beat, melody, and
harmony assist the brain in carrying semantic information, causing song lyrics to be
easier to recall than conversation or prose passages (Jensen & Wolfe, 2001).
Sprenger (1999) stated that music is a valuable aid to memorization. Later,
Millbower (2004) took this comment further by contending that “Music, by appealing to
both the analytical and emotional centers of the brain, aids memorization” (p. 9). Music
enabled essential pieces of information to be introduced and retained. In harmony with
Millbower’s method, King (2004) included music in her list of helpful tools for teaching
autistic children. Her theme, “Music makes repetition and memorization enjoyable” was
the theme of her book’s fifth chapter. It could possibly be applied as a motto for the
repetition and memorization of anything for anyone.
Jones, Fernandez, Mosby, and Vigil (2004) reported that “participation in the arts
positively influences brain performance. The arts, often considered ‘enrichment’ in our
education, may in fact be central to the way humans neurologically process and learn” (p.
37). This could be a result of music and musical activities engaging diverse regions of the
brain (Janata, 2005). Jones, et. al. (2004) also found that music serves as a brain
11
chemistry regulator, a body memory augmenter, and a source for “rewiring neural
pathways” (p. 37). Music increases the likelihood of retention by naturally accessing the
auditory, kinesthetic-tactile, and emotive modalities of the human brain –modalities
known for processing information—by stimulating and unifying brain function (Brown &
Brown, 1997). In other words, the human brain naturally creates multiple pathways for
storing and retrieving information. The use of music makes this process more effective
because it relates to the modes of our brain involving our sense of hearing and auditory
processing, our movement and sense of touch, and our feelings and emotions.
Movement and the Brain
The human brain benefits from movement in several ways. Dennison (1989)
wrote, “Movement is the door to learning.” Jensen (1998) observed that the cerebellum,
Latin for “little brain,” resides in the lower back area of the brain and is primarily
responsible for balance, posture, motor movement, as well as some areas of cognition.
Experiments conducted during Jensen’s research acknowledged that essential long-term
memory traces for motor learning are found in the cerebellum. Two years later, Jensen
found that as a result of movement, the brain releases dopamine and noradrenalin. The
release of dopamine causes an increase in concentration and motivation. Noradrenalin
leads to an increase in the brain’s supply of oxygen. These neurotransmitters help
learners feel better and increase their energy levels while assisting the brain in the process
of storing and retrieving information. When learners feel better and have higher energy
levels, the process of storing and retrieving information is not only enjoyable, but also
more effective. According to Markowitz and Jensen’s (1999) research, movement
12
coordinates external with internal stimuli. Specifically, in studying the cerebellum and
the basal ganglia, control of movement (an external stimulus) and a supported thought
process (an internal stimulus) were observed. When stimulated, the brain becomes a
powerful, efficient, information-storing machine. Rizzolatti, Fadiga, Fogassi, and Gallese
(1997) observed that movement causes the brain to store knowledge at multiple locations
within itself. This allows us to be able to access stored information through a variety of
channels. Imagine several copies of a book being stored on multiple shelves in the
library, making the chances of locating this book more likely. In this same manner, the
brain is able to access pieces of information with less difficulty if the information has
been stored by several routes in memory, rather than just one.
In his research on procedural memory (also referred to as motor memory, body
learning, or habit memory), Jensen (1998) noted that procedural memory was activated
by physical movements, sports, dance, games, theater, and role-play. Eagleman explains
that it is a process in which the human brain holds knowledge of something that the mind
does not access explicitly. It is demonstrated in actions that we do without thinking about
the process it takes to do them. They happen seamlessly, without interruption. It does not
matter how long a person has gone without doing or practicing something; the procedural
memory has such unlimited storage, needs minimal review, and needs such little intrinsic
motivation that the desired action is easily performed. Jensen (1998) found, “To the
brain, the body is not a separate isolated entity. Body and brain are part of the same
contiguous organism, and what happens to the body happens to the brain” (108). When
children engage in a variety of actions that require sitting, standing, acting, moving,
13
and/or playing, a more complex source of sensory input to the brain is created in
comparison to simple cognitive activity.
Our brains need movement to learn in an efficient and effective manner.
Hannaford (1995) reported more neural brain connections are made as a result of
coordinated movements producing neurotrophins. As a family of proteins, neurotrophins
stimulate the survival, development, and function of neurons, the central nervous
system’s building blocks. Hannaford (1995) also observed that movement was required in
order to “pin down” a thought (p. 98). She noted that whenever she writes, the movement
of her hand is necessary to recall the thoughts she puts down on paper, even without
going back and reading what she wrote. One reason that movement is crucial to the
function of the brain is its effect on neurons. Muscular activities, especially those
involving coordinated movements, stimulate the productions of neurotrophins, which we
need to naturally stimulate the growth of nerve cells and increase the brain’s number of
neural connections.
In the year following Hannaford’s research, Thayer noted that twenty years of
research has found that movement puts learners in an appropriate state for learning,
regardless of their age, from kindergarten to college students. Jensen (2000) noted,
“active learning has significant advantages over sedentary learning” (p. 37). One reason
for this may be that when a person moves, electrical activity occurs in the brain. As a
result, the semicircular canals of the inner ear are activated, causing the brainstem’s
reticular formation, leading to the creation of wakefulness and a process to screen
distraction from relevant information. The rational centers of the brain benefit from the
14
resulting facilitation of focus and attention (Dennison & Dennison, 1989). Also as a
result of movement, the cerebellum acts as a control center of cognitive activity. As such,
research implies that physical education, movement, and games are valuable resources
for boosting cognition (Jensen, 1998). Wolfe (2001) found that movement serves as a
factor for keeping the brain’s attention: “Adding movement to the music or rhyme
provides an extra sensory input to the brain and probably enhances the learning” (p. 166).
Learning and the Brain
According to brain research by Jensen (2003), an individual’s state of mind
affects the way he or she will learn and although we may use multiple forms of
intelligences simultaneously, we can only successfully pay attention to one state of mind
at a time. Engagement in a lesson and understanding of a lesson cannot occur if a student
is not in the appropriate state of mind. Jensen (2003) notes that although learning is
unlikely to occur in times of stress, “music can assist in the use of emotional states” (p.
51). In fact, certain parts of a musician’s brain are more developed than that of a nonmusician’s brain. Jensen (2003) noted that as a result of the beat, melody, and harmony
serving as carriers for semantic content, the music aids memory. He proposed that this is
why lyrics to songs are easier to recall than complete sections of conversation. Jensen
also theorized that more of the brain is used when an increased number of neural
pathways enable more connections with the brain. A wider variety of potential pathways
would lead to easier retrieval of information. In his earlier research, Jensen (1998) found
that “lasting learning, or long-term potentiation (LTP), has long been accepted as
essential to the actual physical process of learning” (p. 14).
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Jensen’s research paved the way for others, such as Wolfe. In studying
movement’s connection to the brain, Wolfe (2001) classified rote rehearsal as a method
for rehearsing information or skill by repeating the information for the action over and
over. To make information more meaningful or relevant to the learner, Wolfe formed the
concept of elaborative rehearsal. Elaborative rehearsal is a broad category encompassing
a variety of strategies to encourage a learner to elaborate on information to enhance
understanding and retain that information. According to Wolfe’s research, cognitive,
visual, auditory, affective, and motor systems are activated by many musical experiences.
How the activation occurred would depend on whether the learner was reading music,
playing an instrument, composing a song, beating out a rhythm, or just listening to a
melody. She wrote, “The mental mechanisms that process music are deeply entwined
with the brain’s other basic functions, including emotion, memory, and even language.
Research shows that the human brain is predisposed to detect patterns in both music and
language” (Wolfe, 2001, p. 161). In this manner, pattern recognition occurs. When a
learner’s brain senses new information, the neural networks scope it out to see if the new
information forms a familiar pattern. If a match occurs, the brain determines that the new
visual stimuli are familiar.
Effects of Music on Learning
Researchers have found that music has a positive effect on the learning process.
According to Zatorre (2003), most cognitive abilities of interest to neuroscientists are
influenced by music. Zatorre (2003) identified these cognitive abilities as the auditory
and motor systems, the multi-sensory interactions, memory, learning, attention, planning,
16
creativity, and emotion. In the decade prior to Zatorre’s findings, Wallace (1994)
conducted experiments that found that music, repeated, simple, and easily learned, made
text more effortlessly learned and recalled better than when the same text was learned
without any melody (Wallace, 1994). Music enabled the learning process to become more
efficient. However, not all music is considered equally effective for this purpose. When
using melody for the purpose of cueing memory of a text, Kimmel (1998) wrote that
lyrics are better for remembering when sung, rather than spoken. The melody itself
should be either well-learned or easily learned in order to serve as a good recall cue. In
addition, the text must be sufficiently tied to the melody so that the melody itself may
provide information about the text. For example, the number of notes in the melody
should mirror the number of syllables in the text in order for it to be most easily
remembered. Kimmel’s research also found that music may facilitate initial learning in
addition to providing effective recall cues. In order to do so, the melody must be
adequately simple. Otherwise, the melody may distract from the text it was designed to
support.
Noll (2003) conducted a twelve-week study regarding music’s effect on
memorization of information. For the first three weeks of the study, the researcher
introduced a new Bible verse at the beginning of the week and students repeated the verse
until they had committed it to memory. At the end of each week, students were tested on
the previously learned verse. Students were then given a final test six weeks after the
final verse had been taught. During the next three weeks of the study, students were
introduced to additional Bible verses using music. Using the instructed songs, students
17
committed the Bible verses to memory. Again they were tested at the end of each week
and given six weeks between the last verse instruction and a final test. Noll found a
significant difference at the .05 level of significance. In regards to the long-term retention
of Bible verses, learning them using music proved to be more effective.
Lee (2009) took a different approach by conducting a study aimed at teaching
music concepts and English to young urban children (of age three to age four) by
composing creative music and songs. The study lasted twenty-four weeks, with two
sessions per week, and included the following assessments: a pretest at the beginning and
a post-test at the end. In addition, a participation observation was completed at the end of
the study. Results from this study showed that participants were able to understand the
words “fast” and “slow” by demonstrating paced movements in correspondence with the
tempo of music being played. A similar understanding was demonstrated for the words
“high,” “low,” “stop,” “go,” “soft,” and “loud.” Lee concluded the study to be a success.
In regards to reading and writing specifically, McIntire (2007) found the
following common skills between musical and literacy:
Decoding skills. Both music and reading involve relationships between
sounds and symbols.
Listening skills. Both music and reading require aural discrimination and
imagination.
Rhythm skills. Both music and language have rhythm.
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Communication skills. Both music and the written word involve verbal
expression and articulation, and students can produce written responses to
both.
Creating skills. Both media are avenues for self-expression.
Thinking skills. Both offer opportunities for high-level questioning to
encourage students to think deeply.
Vocabulary development. Both are sources of new words and meanings,
often in various languages.
Expressive skills. Both media allow students to freely convey feelings and
thoughts.
Memorization skills. Setting facts to music helps students remember them.
Large- and small-motor development. Students use various muscles by
playing rhythm instruments, through creative movement, and in writing.
Like McIntire, many researchers have identified music as a tool for creating highly
effective lessons. Johnson and Edelson (2003) found music to be motivational for
students and a way of actively engaging them to develop academic skills. Wolfe (2001)
theorized that rhyme with the addition of music probably enhanced learning as a result of
the additional sensory input provided to the brain. In agreement, McIntire found that
students are emotionally hooked by rhythm, rhyme, and the invitation to sing frequently.
These three events appeared to “magically increase learning” even during mundane tasks
such as learning routine facts. He wrote, “When we add rhythm, music, and movement
to a learning experience, we send messages to the brain through various pathways and
19
create a richer learning experience” (p.44).Music and movement are beneficial to
learning because they not only motivate students to participate, but they strengthen the
impact of learning through the increase of accessibility to the information gained during
the lessons being taught.
A few decades ago, music was considered to be an integral part of the education
system in the United States. As part of a well-balanced curriculum, it was often
demonstrated through classroom assessments such as demonstrating knowledge of a
concept through song, rhyme, or rap. Music was noted for its natural ties to the brain and
the process of learning. During the past ten years, however, priorities in the curriculum
content have shifted due to severe budget cuts and increased emphasis on standardized
testing results. As a result, music has been among the first curriculums to be cut and
removed from the classroom. Thus, this curriculum was designed to help bring music
back into the classroom through a cross-curricular approach.
Conclusion
Music and movement play a key role in the manner in which the human brain
receives, retains, and utilizes information. In examining its previous uses in curriculum,
music was once thought to be a vital element in creating a balanced curriculum that
would enhance and motivate learning. It also utilizes Gardner’s theory of multiple
intelligences in developing the whole child, rather than just focusing strictly on the
academics. Research involving music’s effect on the brain noted that the brain is
naturally wired to receive information from music. From commercial jingles to in-class
projects of rhyme, rap, and poetry, music showed to be helpful with memorization. In
20
addition to music, movement proved to be a valuable tool for learning. Researchers
learned that movement enabled the brain to store information in a multitude of locations
within itself, making the information easier to retrieve and utilize. Further research on the
relationship between learning and the brain found that similar processes are used to
analyze emotion, memory, language, and music, thus creating recognizable patterns
between content learned via these venues. Finally, information presented using simple,
recognizable melodies showed to be an effective facilitator of learning.
21
Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY
The project Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts was
developed with the intent of meeting the requirements of the California State Standards,
the current learning environment, and to encourage students to enjoy learning about
grammar by infusing their lessons with music. The goal of the project was to provide
classroom teachers with an effective method for helping their Grade 1 students increase
retention of concepts covered in the oral and written English language convention
standards.
While creating Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts,
the author was inspired by research completed by individuals such as Wolfe (2001) who
found that the brain attempts to match incoming sensory stimuli with information
previously stored in circuits or networks of neurons. In response, the author chose to use
familiar children’s songs for her curriculum supplement so that their brain, already
familiar with the tune, would focus on the new information provided in the lyrics. It is the
author’s goal that the melody for each of the tunes included in her curriculum will be
relatively second nature to the child and teacher.
In comparing student work, the author observed that skills and concepts mastered
during language arts lessons and worksheets were not apparent in their individual writing
during Writers’ Workshop. For example, in observing students excel in a lesson on
creating complete sentences using a verb through oral responses and in work shown in a
curriculum-provided packet, the author was confident that her students were aware of the
22
difference between complete sentences and fragmented phrases. However, the following
day during Writing Workshop, the students continued to include fragments in their
personal writing, complete with a capital letter at the beginning and punctuation at the
end. When brought to their attention, the students were unable to explain what made their
fragments a complete sentence in their own eyes.
It was the author’s intent that the following year would provide an environment
for collaborating with the school’s music teacher, whose curriculum at the time was
limited to Catholic Mass preparation and thematic lessons. Unfortunately, this
opportunity did not present itself.
The songs were created in preparation for the author’s language arts lessons. The
author would have a new concept to instruct and would make up a song to apply to the
concept. Once the song itself was composed, coordinating movements were applied
whenever possible. As the lesson and song were being instructed with her students, the
author would revise the lyrics, tempo and movements as necessary. Each song was taught
individually, depending on which language arts concept was the area of focus for that
week.
Setting
The content of Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts
originated while the author was teaching Grade 1 at a Catholic school in Carmichael,
California. Although Carmichael is composed of a spectrum of socio-economic statuses,
the school is located within an affluent neighborhood. With a population of
approximately three hundred students, it is considered small in comparison to
23
neighboring public schools, but average within the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento. Each
grade level is allotted one classroom, with a maximum of thirty-five students. The
classrooms are situated in a U-shape, beginning and ending with the main office.
Participants
While creating Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts,
the author’s Grade 1class had twenty-five students. The gender of the class was nearly
half and half, with thirteen female students and twelve male students. Most of the
students were six years old. The others had already turned seven. Like the school itself,
the majority of the population identified themselves as Caucasian. The exception to this
identified themselves as Hispanic.
Curriculum
During the year of creation and implementation, the author observed the students
displaying an increased interest in their grammar lessons. Students groaned less upon
seeing grammar worksheets being passed around the classroom and some would even ask
if a new song was being taught that day. During Writing Workshop time, students who
began to ask questions about concepts put to music were answered with the beginning
bars of one of the songs taught in class. The author would not even complete a phrase
before the student’s face would light up with understanding and reengage in his or her
own work without further guidance. More often than not, the rest of the class would
chime in to finish the song. Through the remainder of the school year, students were
24
observed to be excited about writing and began to show pride in their work as they
volunteered more often to read pieces aloud and share with a neighboring student.
Sing Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts is composed of seven songs.
Each song corresponds to an English-Language convention standard for Grade 1 from the
English-Language Arts Content Standards for California Public School: Kindergarten
Through Grade Twelve. Specific information regarding the contents of Sing Your Way
Through First Grade Language Arts may be found in Table 1 and in Appendix A.
Procedure
This curriculum is intended as a guide to supplement any language arts instruction
taught to Grade 1 students. The author designed it for any student population, regardless
of socio-economic status or adopted curriculum differences between classrooms, schools,
and districts. Rather than taught from beginning to end, it is to be used as needed to
reinforce weak areas or inspire creation of other songs.
The first step in utilizing this curriculum supplement requires the teacher to assess
which song(s) may be of use to the students. This preliminary assessment may be
conducted through observation of the students’ writing, utilizing a curriculum-created
assessment, or by designing a pretest. Because Sing and Dance Your Way Through First
Grade Language Arts was designed to meet the needs of the students and depends upon
their responses to be successful, the teacher should base instruction on what the children
need. For example, students who are struggling with writing regular verbs in the past
tense using the suffix “ed” would benefit from the song entitled “Ed.”
25
Once the teacher has determined which song to use first, he or she should begin
teaching the lyrics and melody of the song using a “call and response” approach. First,
the teacher sings a line of the melody. Then, the students will repeat the same line,
singing it with the teacher. When students have learned the lyrics, the teacher and
students should sing the whole song together. This process should repeat with each lesson
until students are showing an understanding of the concept. The teacher may choose to
create a poster or write the lyrics on the board to support visual learners who can already
read.
After the song has been taught, the teacher should then relate the song to the
corresponding grammar lesson. Using the earlier example of the song entitled “Ed,” the
teacher could write a list of regular verbs on the board or on chart paper and show how
the past tense forms of these verbs is created by adding “ed” to the end of them. Some of
these verbs should be from the song, and some should not be, in order to extend the
application of the lesson.
Once the songs have been taught, the teacher’s next step is to utilize them while
reviewing concepts with the students through curriculum-designated workbooks and
exercises or the students’ own writing in a format such as Writer’s Workshop. Each song
may also be rehearsed throughout the school year for review. These songs have also been
observed to be a beneficial review for students in upper elementary grade levels.
26
Chapter 4
SUMMARY, LIMITATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSION
Summary
The objective of Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts
was to provide a curriculum supplement focused on integrating music with language arts
instruction. As a result of the lack of funds and decreasing time dedicated to music
instruction, the project Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts
was created with the intent to bring music back into the classroom at little or no expense.
The intent of the project was to provide classroom teachers with a curriculum supplement
that motivates students to learn language arts content through the use of music. As a
result, music education can be provided in the public- and private- school settings without
requiring extra funding or time allocated to music instruction. Also, teachers who do not
feel musically-inclined can still make use of the curriculum through the lyric sheets and
compact disc.
The project began as a way to integrate music within the author’s own teaching.
The class in which the curriculum was implemented was a classroom of Grade 1 students.
These students were not specifically selected to test the curriculum. Instead, they were
the students for whom the author was developing the curriculum.
The curriculum correlates with the California State Standards of English language
convention for Grade 1 Each song corresponds to a California State Standard of English
language convention for Grade 1. It is designed to be used as a supplementary curriculum
27
to another language arts curriculum designed for Grade 1 or as a music teacher’s guide to
a music component that supports the language arts curriculum of a Grade 1 classroom.
Limitations
Since the author was motivated and interested in integrating music and language
arts, the positive results observed could also be attributed to the author’s renewed interest
in the teaching of language arts content to her students. An assessment of progress is
needed in order to collect sources of data that will help determine the effectiveness of this
curriculum. This project could also have been affected by an inadequate amount of time
during the school day for students to learn the songs. While the author was teaching
Grade 1, the school’s curriculum did not allow for much flexibility in instruction. As a
brand new teacher, the author also did not possess the privilege to alter the daily schedule
and the curriculum. The author’s class time usage of this curriculum supplement was
limited to the creation of the songs and sporadic practice of them. Another limitation may
be found in the dynamics of the class who first used this curriculum. As previously noted,
this Grade 1 class was composed of twenty-five students, relatively equal in gender ratio.
This ratio is not consistent from year to year; nor is its relatively small class size (in
comparison with other Grade 1 classes within the Sacramento Catholic Diocese). As
children of an affluent population, the socio-economic stature of the families may have
provided this project with another limitation: students naturally eager to learn as part of
the journey toward higher education.
28
Recommendations
As a result of the positive reaction the author observed in her own students, she
believes the curriculum should receive continued use as a guiding mechanism for
teachers of young children. In continuance with the nature of improving education and
educational resources, data should be analyzed for proof of the curriculum’s effectiveness
with subgroups (e.g. gender, grade level, class size) of students not available during the
development of Sing and Dance Your Way Through Language Arts and an assessment of
strategies according to the findings. If the data shows that students do benefit from the
Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts curriculum, additional
songs should be developed and implemented for students outside of Grade 1. Also, an
assessment tool of progress should be created in the process of extending music and
movement in language arts to students beyond Grade 1.
As with any curriculum, the process for continuous improvement must be
honored. Areas of the curriculum’s strengths should be recorded and areas of weakness
remedied. In order for this project to retain relevance, the best practices should be
updated as new literacy research becomes available. Ongoing developmental and
intelligence research should be conducted, reviewed, and included as part of the
continuous improvement process.
Conclusions
Although there exists a need for additional research involving music and
movement’s effect on the brain and on learning, one cannot deny that these concepts are
indeed connected. As education continues to evolve around the students that teachers
29
serve, and changes in educational philosophies and priorities, integrating the arts into
other areas of education may be the only way teachers can ensure the continuation of
these integral subjects in public- and private- school curriculums.
The Sing and Dance Your Way Through First Grade Language Arts curriculum is
one attempt to provide an arts integrated curriculum for teachers. The author hopes it will
be accepted and used by other classroom and music teachers who treasure the arts. She
also hopes that it will inspire other educators to create their own music-infused
curriculum. This curriculum was designed to benefit Grade 1 students using any language
arts curriculum. It would be a beneficial supplement to any school program because of
the natural brain stimulation for learning resulting from music and movement, as utilized
by this curriculum.
While using this curriculum supplement within her Grade 1 classroom, the author
observed students becoming more excited about language arts lessons and grammar
worksheets. During writing, if students needed a reminder about a concept they had
learned previously in song, it just took a pick up phrase (e.g. “I am the king…”) for them
to not only recognize and continue singing the song, but to use the lesson in their work.
Later in the author’s career, when she was teaching upper elementary students, this same
supplement was observed to be a successful tool in the classroom. Students took cues
from the lyrics or from the hand motions to retrieve information from previously learned
lessons.
As researchers have found, there is an undeniable link between music, movement,
and the brain. The songs rehearsed and the effort used to move to a song’s rhythm and
30
melody provide us with an incredible way to store information learned more effectively
than if we had merely read it or heard it in a conversation. By integrating music back into
school curriculum, we not only develop a well-balanced curriculum for our students, but
a fun environment for learning that will help them retain the lesson they learn today for
the situations they will face tomorrow.
31
APPENDIX A
A Curriculum Supplement
1
Sing and Dance Your Way
Through First Grade
Language Arts
A collection of familiar songs with lyrics designed to teach Grade 1
grammar and English oral language conventions.
By Kristin Yarbrough
2
Table of Contents
Capitalization…………………………………………………………………………..3
Possessive Pronouns…………………………………………………………………...4
Ed…………………………………………………………………………………………5
The King of I-N-G……………………………………………………………………….6
Sentences……………………………………………………………………………….7
Types of Sentences……………………………………………………………………8
Quotation Marks……………………………………………………………………….9
Grade 1 Reading Standards……………………………………………………….10
Grade 1 Writing Standards……………………………………….………………...12
3
“Capitalization”
Standards:
Written and Oral English Language Conventions
1.6 Use knowledge of the basic rules of punctuation and
capitalization when writing.
1.7 Capitalize the first word of a sentence, names of people,
and the pronoun I.
4
“Possessive Pronouns”
Standards:
Written and Oral English Language Conventions
1.3 Identify and correctly use contractions and singular
possessive pronouns in writing and speaking.
5
“Ed”
Standards:
Reading
1.0
Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary
Development
Decoding and Word Recognition
1.14 Read inflectional forms [-s; -ed; -ing] and root
words [e.g. look, looked, looking].
6
“The King of I-N-G”
Standards:
Reading
1.0
Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary
Development
Decoding and Word Recognition
1.14 Read inflectional forms [-s; -ed; -ing] and root
words [e.g. look, looked, looking].
7
“Sentences”
Standards:
Written and Oral English Language Conventions
1.1 Write and speak in complete, coherent sentences.
8
“Types of Sentences”
Standards:
Written and Oral English Language Conventions
1.4 Distinguish between declarative, exclamatory, and
interrogative sentences.
9
“Quotation Marks”
Standards:
Written and Oral English Language Conventions
1.6 Use knowledge of the basic rules of punctuation and
capitalization when writing.
10
Reading
1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and
Systematic Vocabulary
Development
Students understand the basic features of reading. They select letter
patterns and know how to translate them into spoken language by using
phonics, syllabication, and word parts. They apply this knowledge to
achieve fluent oral and silent reading.
Concepts about Print
1.1
1.2
1.3
Match oral words to printed words.
Identify the title and author of a reading selection.
Identify letters, words, and sentences.
Phonemic Awareness
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
Distinguish initial, medial, and final sounds in single-syllable
words.
Distinguish long-and short-vowel sounds in orally stated singlesyllable words [e.g., bit/bite].
Create and state a series of rhyming words, including
consonant blends.
Add, delete, or change target sounds to change words [e.g.,
change cow to how; pan to an].
Blend two to four phonemes into recognizable words [e.g.,
/c/ a/ t/ = cat; /f/ l/ a/ t/ = flat].
Segment single-syllable words into their components [e.g., /c/
a/ t/ = cat; /s/ p/ l/ a/ t/ = splat; /r/ i/ ch/ = rich].
11
Decoding and Word Recognition
1.10
1.11
1.12
1.13
1.14
1.15
1.16
Generate the sounds from all the letters and letter patterns,
including consonant blends and long-and short-vowel
patterns (i.e., phonograms), and blend those sounds into
recognizable words.
Read common, irregular sight words [e.g., the, have, said,
come, give, of].
Use knowledge of vowel digraphs and r- controlled lettersound associations to read words.
Read compound words and contractions.
Read inflectional forms [e.g., -s, -ed, -ing] and root words
[e.g., look, looked, looking].
Read common word families [e.g., -ite, -ate].
Read aloud with fluency in a manner that sounds like natural
speech.
Vocabulary and Concept Development
1.17
Classify grade-appropriate categories of words (e.g.,
concrete collections of animals, foods, toys).
12
Writing
1.0 Written and Oral English
Language Conventions
Students write and speak with a command of standard English
conventions appropriate to this grade level.
Sentence Structure
1.1 Write and speak in complete, coherent sentences.
Grammar
1.2 Identify and correctly use singular and plural nouns.
1.3 Identify and correctly use contractions (e.g., isn’t, aren’t, can’t,
won’t) and singular possessive pronouns (e.g., my/mine,
his/her, hers, your/s) in writing and speaking.
Punctuation
1.4 Distinguish between declarative, exclamatory, and interrogative
sentences.
1.5 Use a period, exclamation point, or question mark at the end of
sentences.
1.6 Use knowledge of the basic rules of punctuation and
capitalization when writing.
Capitalization
1.7 Capitalize the first word of a sentence, names of people, and
the pronoun I.
Spelling
1.8 Spell three- and four-letter short-vowel words and grade-level
appropriate sight words correctly.
26
APPENDIX B
CONTENT OF SING AND DANCE YOUR WAY
THROUGH FIRST GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS
(CD in Pocket)
27
Song Title
Capitalization
Vocal
Instrumental
Track
Track
1
2
Page #
3
Objective
Written and Oral English Language
Conventions
1.6 Use knowledge of the basic rules
of punctuation and capitalization
when writing
1.7 Capitalize the first word of
sentence, names of people, and
the pronoun I
Possessive
3
4
4
Pronouns
Written and Oral English Language
Conventions
1.3 Identify and correctly use
contractions and singular
possessive pronouns in writing
and speaking.
Ed
5
6
5
Reading
1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and
Systematic Vocabulary
Development
Decoding and Word Recognition
1.14 Read inflectional forms [-s,
-ed, -ing] and root words
[e.g. look, looked, looking].
28
The King of
7
8
6
I-N-G
Reading
1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and
Systematic Vocabulary
Decoding and Word Recognition
1.14 Read inflectional forms
[-s, -ed, -ing] and root
words [e.g. look, looked,
looking].
Sentences
9
10
7
Written and Oral English Language
Conventions
1.1 Write and speak in complete,
coherent sentences
Types of
11
12
8
Sentences
Written and Oral English Language
Conventions
1.4 Distinguish between declarative,
exclamatory, and interrogative
sentences
Quotation
Marks
13
14
9
Written and Oral English Language
Conventions
1.6 Use knowledge of the basic rules
of punctuation and capitalization
when writing.
29
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