Using Music to Enhance Reading Concepts

Learning Objective: When listening to music, more parts of our brain are involved than at any

other time. That is why music has the ability to enhance our learning of subjects and our

understanding of the world around us. Learning to read through music helps enhance our

understanding because music is engaging and motivating. In this lesson, I will focus on how

music can help a fourth or fifth grade student understand key concepts of reading. This

includes, fluency, phonics, phonemes, and overall reading comprehension of the lyrics. I also

will be enhancing each student's auditory processing (listening) skills through the activity. I hope

that through this activity students will be able to use music to find key reading concepts that will

enhance their learning.

Essential Question: How does music help our reading development?

Grade: 4th/5th

Time: 30 Minutes

Reading Activity Concepts/ Key Terms

● Reading fluency

● Phonics

● Phonemes: Phonological Awareness

● Auditory Processing (listening skills)

Materials and Preparation

● Computer with speakers

● Two songs with lyrics printed, enough copies for each student

● Markers, colored pencils, highlighters

Activity #1: How Music Helps us Become Fluent Readers (15 minutes overall)
References: http://www.assistivetechnology.vcu.edu/2016/05/23/using-song-lyrics-to-improve-

fluency/

http://songsforteaching.net/early-reading-skills/

http://reading-sage.blogspot.com/2011/04/songs-and-lyrics-for-intermediate.html (song)

● song #1: The Logical Song By Roger Hodgson

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBoYZqmcZuc)

● Listen to song once as class (5 minutes) with lyrics in front of each student

● After played once, students sing simultaneously following a long, decoding words and

saying each syllable. (This also enhances music skills by helping each student understand

rhythm and beat). (5 minutes)

● Discussion questions: (5 minutes)

○ How do you think this song helped us read fluently?

○ What did you notice about the beat of the song and the way the words were said?

○ What was important during this song in order for us to sing it successfully?

Activity #2: Can you find the phonics and phonemes in the lyrics? (15 minutes overall)

Introduction to Phonemes and Phonics (5 minutes)

Goal: Circle all of the phonemes and underline the phonics in each verse

● Phonemic Awareness: Most songs have alliteration and rhyme. When you are listening to

the song, you are going to recognize individual sounds within a word and notice that

same sound in other words.

○ Materials: Highlighter or marker to underline phonemes

● Phonics: After we listen to the song, I will give you the lyrics. You are going to circle the

first letter in all of the words that rhyme. This will help you to understand how to read.
Play song: Drops of Jupiter by Train (5 minutes) and hand each student the lyrics to the song so

that they are able to follow the song while completing activity.

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lORcpT89t9c

Post- Activity Discussion (5 minutes)

● This activity helped us to understand phonics and phonemes and how they are used in

everything we read

● Share out: Pick a student to read their results for the phonics and phonemes in the verses.

Any missing gaps another student can be called on to answer.

● Questions?

Reflection

During this lesson, I covered certain reading topics such as fluency, phonics, phonemes, and

overall auditory listening. This activity was interactive and fun, as it allowed students to use

popular music to expand their learning with reading. It was interactive and supported all different

types of learners, such as those students that learning visually or auditory. To expand this lesson,

I could take it one step further and help students understand what they just listened to and

decoded. Questions like, “what was the purpose of this song?” not only helps students

comprehend what they just read, but it also can help students appreciate and learn from music.

Music offers us many lessons in life and it can be used as a form of teaching in many different

ways.