Zoey has started reading. She knows a lot of words by sight, but it's exciting watching her stumble over words, trying to sound them out while looking at pictures for clues. She's actually trying to read. Finally!
While most of the credit should go to her teachers, I have to give myself a pat on the back as well. Awhile back, I made a mix tape of songs that spell out words. We've been listening to it a lot lately and I feel it's really helped her progress!
And because I don't feel like keeping this wealth of knowledge to myself, here are twelve songs that will help your children learn to spell and read:
Song: D-I-V-O-R-C-E by Tammy Wynette
Word(s) spelled: custody, divorce, hell, Joe, surprise, toy
Comment: Over half of all marriages end in divorce, so it might be a good idea for your kid to learn how to spell words like custody and divorce.
Song: Safety Dance by Men Without Hats
Word(s) spelled: safety
Comment: Learn to spell and dance!
Song: Gloria by Van Morrison
Word(s) spelled: Gloria
Comment: This is fairly worthless unless your kid or someone in your family is named Gloria.
Song: Word Up by Cameo
Word(s) spelled: word
Comment: Dude! It's Cameo!
Song: Your Dictionary by XTC
Word(s) spelled: cold, fuck, hate, kick, shit, slap
Comment: Your kids are going to learn these words in kindergarten. Wouldn't you rather they learn them from you? Added bonus: another song about divorce!
Song: Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani
Word(s) spelled: bananas
Comment: Maybe your kid will be able to tell you what hollaback means.
Song: Respect by Aretha Franklin
Word(s) spelled: respect
Comment: It's easier to teach them to spell it than it is to teach them to show it.
Song: Be Aggressive by Faith No More
Word(s) spelled: aggressive, be
Comment: They'll also learn about oral sex by listening to this song, so you might want to wait a bit before introducing this track.
Song: Saturday Night by Bay City Rollers
Word(s) spelled: Saturday
Comment: Not only will your kids be able to spell Saturday, they'll also learn how to stutter the word.
Song: Lola by The Kinks
Word(s) spelled: cola, Lola
Comment: See Gloria by Van Morrison. But at least your kid can learn how to spell cola!
Song: Redneck Mother by Ray Wylie Hubbard
Word(s) spelled: mother
Comment: The song is about drinking and fighting. Perfect for kids!
Song: Hell by Squirrel Nut Zippers
Word(s) spelled: damnation
Comment: I may need to know how to spell this word after compiling this list.
Songs Intentionally Omitted From This List Because They Suck
Song: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary PoppinsWord(s) spelled: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Reason omitted: They'll learn plenty of nonsense words like phat, lol, and SpongeBob SquarePants. You don't need to add to their stupidity.
Song: B-I-N-G-O
Word(s) spelled: bingo
Reason omitted: This song gets old quick.
Song: R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A. by John Cougar Mellencamp
Word(s) spelled: rock
Reason omitted: John Cougar Mellencamp.
Song: Fergalicious by Fergie
Word(s) spelled: delicious, Fergie
Reason omitted: The song is mega-lame and the chick can't spell tasty.
Feed Your Head
Want to teach your kids more? Then check out my previous compilations:Volume 1: Songs About Masturbation
Volume 2: Songs About Cowboys
Song of the day: All I Want For Christmas Is You by My Chemical Romance
