I remember when I first started teaching, I wanted to sing, but to actually sing in front of others, without music to help, was terrifying. Would I forget the words? Would I sing off key? Would the kids laugh or even like it? And you know what? They loved it so much, I forgot about all the rest and just kept singing!
Then I started doing storytimes for the general public and I was horrified by the thought of singing in front of other adults. I mean is there anything more terrifying?! I am no Taylor Swift! But in my heart of hearts, I didn’t believe a storytime was complete without a little singing action. Kids thrive when music is played or songs are sung and I wanted to give them that experience. So alas, I had to get over myself and just sing.
I can imagine, as a parent, you might have similar feelings even if you are just singing to your own child in your own home. However, research has shown that baby’s learn language through daily interactions with their caregiver, and especially through sing-song language. Toddlers and young children learn a sense of the sounds of language, which is an important foundational skill, through song. We must sing to our babies and children. To help you take the leap, I have rounded up my favorite music books!
Hello, World! Music
All of the Jill McDonald board books are big hits with kids. They are the perfect introduction to non-fiction and a way to introduce and teach children about a topic. We love this one and all of her others, too!
The Story Orchestra: Four Seasons in One Day
If there is one series that I could rave about forever and a day, it is this one. I love how the creators combined classical pieces with a story that pulls children in. I have linked the first one in the series but we have read each and every one in the series a hundred times over. And now there are board books too! My favorite part is the biographical information about the composers at the end of each book. This is such important information and makes the book appeal to younger children as well as older children.
Jane Cabrera Books
Jane Cabrera books are some of the most read board books in our house. She takes the classic songs like Row, Row Your Boat or Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and rewrites the lyrics. They are playful and fun and also help me be silly with songs too!
Raffi Songs to Read Set
Our two personal favorites are Down By the Bay and Baby Beluga but I do not think you will regret just gettin the whole set. Raffi has been a long time classic musician. I absolutely loved him as a child and he still proves to be a favorite of young children.
Trombone Shorty
If you have older children, picture book biographies are an amazing way to teach them about real people who accomplished big things. I haven’t met a child who didn’t love this story about Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and his jazz career.
Little People, Big Dreams: Taylor Swift
For all the swifties out there, this is the perfect book to learn more about Taylor Swift, and dare I say, this may just be a keepsake from this era. Pun intended 🙂
Cali’s Books
Cali’s Books are uniquely designed to engage young children in a screen-free way. They delightfully share different songs through a variety of themes, languages, and music. They are easy for little ones to use themselves or fun to read with a grown up. We have enjoyed so many of them!
Lovevery Music Set
And afterall, if you want the best set of instruments to jam to all these amazing books, we are big fans of the Lovevery Music Set. Both my toddler and my kindergartener really get into the instruments and enjoy playing together.
No matter what songs or books or instruments you choose, I challenge you this week to add (more) music into your day with your child. It is a great way to connect, play, build language, and have FUN!
