#28: Using Music to teach reading (No Singing Required!) with Jocelyn Manzanerez
If the idea of singing in front of your students makes you want to run for the door, you’re not alone! But here’s the good news—you don’t need to be a singer to use music as a powerful tool for teaching reading. Music naturally enhances phonemic awareness, strengthens memory, and helps kids build key literacy skills—no microphone required.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Jocelyn Manzanarez, founder of Musically Minded, to explore how educators can integrate music into their literacy instruction without ever singing a note.
How Music Supports Reading Development
Music and reading have a deep connection, and research shows that rhythmic patterns and auditory engagement can boost literacy skills. Here’s how:
- Phonemic Awareness – Songs and chants help students hear and distinguish sounds in words.
- Syllable Segmentation – Music makes breaking words into syllables feel like a game.
- Letter-Sound Recognition – Rhythm and movement strengthen sound-symbol associations.
- Fluency & Expression – Reciting chants and rhymes naturally supports prosody and fluency.
- Engagement & Motivation – Music captivates learners and makes literacy lessons more interactive.
And the best part? Teachers don’t need to sing to harness the power of music!
Easy Ways to Use Music in Your Classroom—No Singing Needed
You don’t have to be a musician to incorporate music into your literacy lessons. Here are a few simple ways to use rhythm, beats, and chants to reinforce reading skills:
1. Use Call-and-Response Chants
Chants with rhythmic patterns help children develop phonemic awareness. Try using well-known nursery rhymes or create your own using key literacy concepts.
2. Clap & Tap Out Syllables
Have students use rhythm sticks or simply clap their hands to break words into syllables. For example:
- El-e-phant (clap-clap-clap)
- Mis-sis-sip-pi (tap-tap-tap-tap)
3. Incorporate Movement
Adding motions to phonics instruction can help cement learning. For instance, use stomping or jumping to match phonemes with actions.
4. Use Instrumental Background Tracks
Play instrumental music while practicing sight words or reading fluency passages to set a rhythm and enhance engagement.
5. Rhythm-Based Phonics Games
Turn phonics drills into a game by incorporating beats. Example: Pass a ball around while saying words with the same initial sound.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
- Why music is a powerful tool for teaching reading skills.
- How rhythm and movement improve phonemic awareness.
- The science behind music and language processing.
- Easy, no-singing-required activities to use in your classroom.
- How to boost engagement and memory retention using music-based strategies.
Bringing It All Together
Music is one of the most effective and brain-friendly ways to help students develop early reading skills. And the best part? You don’t need to sing a single note! Whether through clapping, chanting, or rhythm-based games, these techniques make literacy instruction fun, interactive, and accessible for every teacher.
Want more science-backed strategies for teaching reading? Join The Science of Reading Formula and get access to expert insights, practical tools, and a supportive community. Click here to enroll today!
Download your free alphabet chant
Click the big blue “DOWNLOAD HERE” button to grab your free alphabet chant to start bringing music into your classroom today.
LINKS
Watch the interview video in the Science of Reading Formula vault
Musically Minded 360 on Instagram
Musically Minded’s Free Lyric Sheet and Video
Musically Minded’s Alphabet Song
Become a Science of Reading Formula member!
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