Singing To Baby

We have talked about reading with your baby and signing with your baby now lets talk about the importance and the FUN of singing with/to your baby!

First of all when I say your "baby" I mean YOUR baby, which could mean your five year old but you know your baby is ALWAYS going to be your baby.

Alright enough with the word baby...lets talk about singing! La La La!!!!!

You may think you have an awful singing voice and honestly you may, but that doesn't mean that your child doesn't want to hear you singing to them!  Singing with your child can help them learn some very important things, like body parts and sounds, but what I bet you didn't know is that singing to your baby can seriously help their language skills.  A lot of the children that I have personally come across throughout my many years as a preschool teacher, used their first words while singing a song!

My baby, Layla, says the word "baby" all the time and I truly believe it is because daily, and sometimes hourly I sing her the song....

Layla, Layla BABY
Layla, Layla BABY
Laaaaayla, Layla BAAAAABY!
(TUNE ON SHERRY BABY by, The 4 Seasons)

Layla also LOVES dancing and moving to Music and I believe it is because we sing to her often.  Singing to your children can help with coordination and learning certain specific movements!


(Daniel Dwase, editor of the online Child Development Guide, agreed that nursery rhymes set to music can aid a child's development. But, he added, teaching a child to dance is also important.

"Music assists in the development of a child's speech," he said. "Singing nursery rhymes and simple songs teaches children how language is constructed and assists with the acquisition of language. Singing songs with your child will also teach them about tone, beat and rhythm.

"Even better than just singing, though, is to teach songs with actions and encourage your child to dance along to the music, they will learn balance, co-ordination, body awareness and rhythm," he said.END.http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/may/08/singing-children-development-language-skills)

Here is a list of some songs that I Love to sing with Layla and That I think will be beneficial to your child's development! 
1.The Itsy Bitsy Spider

2.The wheels on the bus. ( It's good to get a refresher!  Plus these girls are...funny.haha.)

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGT6CaDkGwQ&feature=related

3.Head Shoulders Knees and Toes.(Gotta love The Wiggles)

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFuZ6LPDYQc. 

4.You are my sunshine. (This Video also teaches you how to use ASL with this song.)
         
            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzM0oa9ZxGY)

5.ABC. ( I sign the alphabet while I sing her this).

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMQHd1UBkeI

6.Shake your sillies out.  (I LOVED Rafi when i was little!)

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZde3-0RjrM


Those are just some and there are of course many many more!  Start with some of these, you will be surprised how attentive your child will be while you are singing to them and if you add movements you will love watching them learn and soon start to move and sing with you!

How great is that! And such an easy and fun thing to do! Everybody likes to sing, don't deny it, it's just that most of us only do it in the shower!!  But now we can have an audience that will applaud and love us even if we are tone def!! Wonderful News!

I have talked about reading to your child and I think it is even more fun when you add songs and movement in there as well, it also keeps your little ones attention as well!Here is a list of some songs that I Love to sing with Layla and That I think will be beneficial to your child's development!