Listen!
Baby Club Sing-Along
As you read the book, you and your baby will probably want to sing the songs.
Sing Along - Audio & song words Click here to go to the Audio recordings to sing along. Watch Along - videos Click here to watch and sing along with videos made in my library group. For some reason they sometimes are slow to play on my page - if that happens you can click here to watch and sing along on my YouTube page instead. If you'd like to read more about how songs and rhymes support babies' language development, see below. |
Share a story
In my library groups, we had some families who had always lived just down the road from the library. We also had many families who had come from countries all over the world.
We made recordings of many of the moms and dads (and friends and colleagues) reading the stories in their home langauge. The English reading is below. Click here for many more. You can click on the play button and listen as you look at the pictures in your book. Enjoy! |
Why is singing so important?
People from all cultures have sung to their babies forever - special songs that are usually sung at a slightly higher pitch, at a slower tempo and in a more loving tone than other songs. These special songs are really important for babies’ and children’s development.
Comfort, calming and bonding
Babies feel comforted by the rhythmic sounds of rhymes and songs and feel a close bond with you as you sing to them.
Babies often cry reflexively out of shock and discomfort and singing a familiar song will calm your baby (and you) and provide
a distraction.
Language acquisition
Learning to understand language and speak is so much more than learning words – it is a complex task of understanding the structure and rules of language.
When children listen to songs and rhymes, they are hearing these language rhythms, sound patterns and rhymes in an easy, natural way. When you tap or clap along to the beat, your child develops an awareness of syllables and sounds. And when you use different tones of voice for happy and sad songs, you are showing your child how language conveys emotion. All these things help children in the complex task of learning to speak and understand language.
Stories and reading
Many songs and rhymes have simple narratives and will engender a love of stories in your child. It’s never too early to share books, and your child will enjoy pointing to the pictures and talking about what is going on. Familiarity with stories, and all that understanding of rhythm and rhyme and sound pattens will be an enormous benefit to your child once they start to learn to read.
Comfort, calming and bonding
Babies feel comforted by the rhythmic sounds of rhymes and songs and feel a close bond with you as you sing to them.
Babies often cry reflexively out of shock and discomfort and singing a familiar song will calm your baby (and you) and provide
a distraction.
Language acquisition
Learning to understand language and speak is so much more than learning words – it is a complex task of understanding the structure and rules of language.
When children listen to songs and rhymes, they are hearing these language rhythms, sound patterns and rhymes in an easy, natural way. When you tap or clap along to the beat, your child develops an awareness of syllables and sounds. And when you use different tones of voice for happy and sad songs, you are showing your child how language conveys emotion. All these things help children in the complex task of learning to speak and understand language.
Stories and reading
Many songs and rhymes have simple narratives and will engender a love of stories in your child. It’s never too early to share books, and your child will enjoy pointing to the pictures and talking about what is going on. Familiarity with stories, and all that understanding of rhythm and rhyme and sound pattens will be an enormous benefit to your child once they start to learn to read.