Singing is a Celebration of Language: Using Music to Enhance Young Children’s Vocabularies

Authors

  • Kari-Lynn Winters Brock University
  • Shelley Griffin Brock University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20360/G2ZK5X

Abstract

Music engages children in language learning, offering them opportunities to understand and express their ideas and communicate with others in ways that go beyond words. This article, based on two ethnographically-framed studies and the use of two real-life vignettes, demonstrates how singing and musical experiences (e.g., composition, soundscapes, musical improvisation) have the power to enhance children’s lexical acquisition and semantic knowledge at various levels of development. Results demonstrate that singing and musical experiences, whether biologically or socially shaped, provide opportunities to celebrate language and enhance young children’s vocabulary building.

Author Biography

Kari-Lynn Winters, Brock University

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Kari-Lynn Winters is an award-winning children’s author, playwright, performer, and academic scholar. Sixteen of her picture or poetry books have been published or are in press. An experienced teacher of writing and drama, she is an assistant professor at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.

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Published

2014-11-24

How to Cite

Winters, K.-L., & Griffin, S. (2014). Singing is a Celebration of Language: Using Music to Enhance Young Children’s Vocabularies. Language and Literacy, 16(3), 78–91. https://doi.org/10.20360/G2ZK5X

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