Sing into Reading: the Blog
Little ones love literacy.
Music is magic!
Finding and Keeping the Beat: a class for kids under seven
Finding and Keeping the Beat:
a class for kids under seven
We've got the beat!
In this multi-age class, Risa Beth Cohen, M.S.Ed., Creative Director of Sing into Reading, teaches about the beat. Students practice beat synchronization with their torsos, hands, and feet. Modifications can be made to this class (or any of Risa's classes) for your age group and abilities.
In this class, Risa sings two of her original songs, "Oh, Friends, We Love You," and "Hello With One Hand." These are both zipper songs that allow students to add their own ideas, giving them a sense of ownership. In "Hello with One Hand," students suggest different parts of the body. "Oh Friends, We Love You" can be sung as a name song, "Oh____, We Love You" making the song more personal and meaningful.
Songbooks and resources are provided after classes. In Risa's songbooks, the text is color-coded with red consonants and blue vowels. (If you would like to color-code your text, you can get the...
Writing to Remember the Holidays
Holidays are precious times we want to remember. To help with memory consolidation, in addition to taking pictures, it is helpful to write about our experiences, and encourage our children to write as well.
Here are some of my favorite holiday writing prompts:
- Holiday Wish List
- Favorite Holiday Memory
- Favorite Holiday and Why
- Favorite Holiday Gift Given
- Favorite Holiday Gift Received
- The Best Part of (Name of Holiday) is ____
- (Name of Holiday) is All About _______
- Retelling a Favorite Holiday Story
"It's Holiday Time" is a song written by a student. He wrote about his holiday wish list, and also the best part of the holiday.
Even preschoolers can write about the holidays. Ask them one of the writing prompts above and then tell them to write about it. Hand them crayons and paper let them get to work. Then ask them to tell you about what they wrote, and transcribe their words. Encourage your children to write about the holidays and let me know how it goes.
Wishing you all happy...
Crossing the Midline
Have you ever heard a preschool teacher or occupational therapist refer to "crossing the midline," and wondered what that was?
In this blog I talk about what it is, why it is important, and how it relates to literacy.
I also sing some original songs that will help encourage this developmental benchmark.
If you wonder if your child or one you teach is having difficulty crossing the midline, please talk to your pediatritian or occupational therapist.
Keep singing,
Risa
Author
Risa Beth Cohen, M.S.Ed.
Author
Risa Beth Cohen, M.S.Ed. is an educator, singer/songwriter, and storyteller. She works with people of all ages and abilities, leading music circles and storytelling workshops. As the Founder and Creative Director of Sing into Reading, Risa is passionate about teaching literacy through music and movement. Risa holds a B.F.A. in acting from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, and an M.S.Ed. in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from Bank Street College. In 2014, she was the Featured Teller at “Tellebration” in Toledo, Ohio. Students of all ages and abilities enjoy her music circles and storytelling workshops. In addition to teaching children, Risa is a sought-after speaker at edu-events of all sorts. Risa is an approved CKC (Core Knowledge & Competencies) Instructor, and Sing into Reading is an approved training organization recognized by the Ohio Professional Registry of the Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association (OCCRRA). She has two OCCRRA-approved workshops, “Teaching Literacy Through Music and Movement,” and “Songs for a Peaceful Learning Environment.” She has taught educators and families at schools, and has spoken at conferences in many countries, including Egypt, Australia, England, and South Korea. Risa and her program, Sing into Reading, have been featured on WTOL Channel 11, NBC channel 24, 13abc, and the Toledo Blade. Risa has been called a literacy teacher “in disguise.” Her students think they just make music and have fun – and they do!
