Open AccessSinging is a Celebration of Language: Using Music to Enhance Young Children’s Vocabularies
Author(s) -
Kari-Lynn Winters,
Shelley M. Griffin
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
language and literacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1496-0974
DOI - 10.20360/g2zk5x
Subject(s) - singing , improvisation , musical , soundscape , vocabulary , language acquisition , musical development , linguistics , psychology , communication , visual arts , art , sound (geography) , mathematics education , acoustics , philosophy , physics
Music engages children in language learning, offering them opportunities to understand and express their ideas and communicate with others in ways that go beyond words. This article, based on two ethnographically-framed studies and the use of two real-life vignettes, demonstrates how singing and musical experiences (e.g., composition, soundscapes, musical improvisation) have the power to enhance children’s lexical acquisition and semantic knowledge at various levels of development. Results demonstrate that singing and musical experiences, whether biologically or socially shaped, provide opportunities to celebrate language and enhance young children’s vocabulary building.