Channels, Spring 2017

Channels • 2017 • Volume 1 • Number 2 Page 39 addition to a well-balanced and blended musical repertoire) that aids in young students’ literacy learning and development. One of the greatest benefits of a music curriculum centered around folk music and nursery rhymes is that such songs help to lay the foundation for language mastery in young learners. Shwetha R. asserts that the use of nursery rhymes and songs in the classroom is not a novel idea as “nursery rhymes have always remained a resourceful instructional material [and]…the nursery rhymes we learn as children remain fresh in our minds, even as we age…because of the foundation it lays in minds, of the language that we use almost every day.” 10 The value in folk music, traditional nursery rhymes, and songs stems from their strong background in the oral tradition. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “Hot Cross Buns” are common songs used in beginning instrumental curriculums. However, they are not chosen for their musical simplicity or their deeply meaningful texts. These songs are selected because they are songs that students already know by rote, making it easy for them to learn them by note on a new instrument since the song is already deeply ingrained in their memory. Many nursery songs are used in similar ways, and “the part played by nursery rhymes in forming the basis for language learning is integral…because rhymes are one of the most enthralling and culturally rich resources that can easily be used in a language classroom, and it offers a change from droning classroom activities.” 11 Songs that students already know by rote are excellent springboards for learning in content areas outside of music as words to familiar folk tunes and traditional melodies can be replaced with new lyrics that teach multiplication, provide a memorable definition for the word “homonym,” or help students recall South American geography. Even without changing the words, many traditional songs and nursery rhymes are vehicles for literacy across content areas, especially in the realms of language learning, historical cognizance, and social awareness within a larger community. Influencing Language Literacy It is of little surprise that language is at the core of every society. Without language, communication would be rendered impossible, nations and governments would fall, and humanity would forever be locked in place, never able to advance in knowledge. However, such a tragedy is not the case, and students daily learn how to better communicate as they learn both the language skills that they are taught and the ones that they pick up from the world around them. No one would ever deny that students learn valuable language skills in their literature and writing classes. However, many fail to realize that music also has extraordinary potential to teach language literacy. Language literacy is one of the greatest benefits from the literacy gained through the oral transmission of music, and there is much evidence to support that fact. 10 Shwetha R., "Nursery Rhymes as an Effective Instructional Material for Young Language Learners," Language in India 13, no. 6 (2013): 773. 11 Ibid.