Music is the Medicine: Unlocking Literacy through Music and Sound Play WE2

Age Group Addressed:
Birth to Age 3, Birth through Age 5, Age 3 through 5

Audience:
Parents, Foster Parents, Relative Care Givers, Teachers, Administrators, Therapists, Home Visitors, Family Resources Coordinators, Interested Professionals, Students, Trainers, Adult Educators

Core Competency Area:
Curriculum and Learning Environment

Skill Level:
Fundamental

Presentation Outcomes:
This presentation, Music is the Medicine: Unlocking Literacy through Music and Sound Play, demonstrates how music and sound-based learning can foster productive outcomes for young children and their families across diverse backgrounds, including differences in ability, culture, language, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Music provides an equitable entry point for all families to support a young child’s early literacy, regardless of their current literacy levels. By combining sound-first instructional methods with engaging, music-based activities, we offer an inclusive framework that reduces passive screen time and supports phonological awareness, language development, and social-emotional growth. This approach is particularly effective for children from marginalized communities, including those served by Head Start and the Preschool Promise Program. Participants will explore strategies to empower families and educators to actively engage in their child’s early learning journey, bridging the digital divide and providing equitable access to foundational literacy tools. This session offers actionable solutions to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background.

Learning Objectives:

1. 1. Evaluate the integration of sound-first and music-based instructional methods for phonological awareness and pre reading skill development using the science of reading and other evidence-based early literacy standards.
2. 2. Extrapolate the implications of sound-first and music-based instructional methods for improving classroom and parent engagement, phonological awareness, and language development systems.
3. 3. Critique the effectiveness of replacing passive screen time with sound-first and music-based instructional methods for fostering pre-reading and communication skills, based on the latest phonological awareness research and best practices.
4. 4. Analyze how sound-first and music-based instructional methods support social-emotional growth alongside literacy development through rhythm, melody, and sound-based activities, in line with developmental and educational standards.

Expertise
No other prior knowledge, training or skill is required in order to be successful in this session.