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Abstract: Song-based picture books are unique resources that when utilized with intentionality, can help the elementary music teacher make authentic connections with a child's early literacy development. Such links situate music instruction within the broader context of the child's whole education and can be significant in helping build stronger advocacy regarding the value of music instruction in the elementary school.
Song-based picture books are valuable resources for elementary music teachers. As discussed in Montgomery (2012), these illustrated storybooks are a special type of singable literature that can provide strong support for primary grade children's growth in singing self-efficacy. Students stay focused during music making through engagement with the colourful illustrations that in turn, provide visual cues regarding the rhythm and melody of the song. The repetitive verse-and-refrain structure of the children's song lyrics in many of these resources can provide a natural springboard for shared call-and-response singing. Indeed, such joyful classroom practice supports young children's growth in vocal confidence at a time when it is most needed: at the beginning stages of vocal discovery!
These unique resources also provide the elementary music teacher with an authentic opportunity for making connections with the rest of the elementary school curricula. Such links help situate musical instruction within the broader context of the child's whole education rather than allowing it to seem isolated in the music room. This can be significant as parents, other teacher colleagues, and administrators are often in a quandary as to understanding the value of music instruction in the life of a child's elementary education. Any opportunity to bridge this gap by making these natural and research-based connections more visible is important, and can help music teachers build stronger advocacy regarding the value of keeping music within the core of a child's education.
Literacy is considered a cornerstone within the elementary school curricula and musical instruction with song-based picture books has been revealed as making a significant contribution in this regard (Montgomery & Smith, 2010, 2011). In these studies, findings indicated the familiar melodies embedded within the song-based picture books provided a comfort level within which kindergarten children could playfully engage with text. This joyful interaction served as motivation to help propel the children towards revisiting the song-based picture books many times,...