me arts ed

Songwriting in the Classroom turns education on its ear — literally

In the fall of 1998, while on sabbatical, my family traveled cross country for three months. One of our stops was in North Dakota to visit a friend. Ellen taught second grade at the time and it was a treat to watch this exemplary teacher in action. We had the opportunity to watch Ellen teach reading and she did it through song. When Martin Swinger sent me this blurb on the work he does it brought back so many memories of our visit to Bismarck.

Repetition is the surest means to memorizing facts, but we all know the boredom that results from simply repeating statements again and again. The solution is so simple, even a child can do it. A,B,C is one of very few mnemonic songs in the education repertoire, and our schools are so much the poorer for it.

Singing is a natural, fun activity which children (and adults) enjoy participating in. Singing raises immune systems, excites the whole brain, engages attention span, raises self-esteem and activates the brain’s reward response, all while unifying a group and encouraging participation. There are not many activities so easily incorporated into a school day that offer so many immediate rewards.

Children welcome the opportunity to sing and if teachers are to encourage a can-do attitude in the classroom, this should also apply to singing with students. Instead of modeling embarrassment and shame, teachers should sing with whatever natural voice they have, and if necessary, use it as a springboard for a conversation against teasing.

Why aren’t we singing our lesson facts with our students because the songs havent been written yet? Martin Swingers program, Songwriting in the Classroom offers the perfect solution. He facilitates as the students create mnemonic songs together and teaches students and teachers how to continue creating helpful songs based in any curriculum throughout the year.

Click here to get to Martin’s website where you will find his songwriting tips and helpful information on his program. Songwriting is a powerfully effective means of including arts in any education curriculum. Your students will be singing your praises for years to come.