sing
What is sing?
First, it is an introduction to Jason Houser and www.seedsfamilyworship.net. Jason and his team have put together several CDs of scripture put to music. Their music is responsible for some incredible scripture memory in the mind and heart of our family. We have cherished the Seeds CDs and hope you as a family buy every one of them and put them in your car right away. To give our children the word of God buried deep in their mind and heart is a great gift! I believe the Seeds Project is the very best way to do just that! Check them out and buy them out!
Second, it is simple songs that I wrote available for download. I also found that my children were drawn to nursery rhymes and especially those that you could sing. Try as I may to teach other songs, they would always choose these songs, books or videos. So, I thought – how can I work with this phenomenon instead of against it? I began creating words of who God is and what is on his mind to the tune of the nursery rhymes that they know and love. We still enjoy fun moments of singing the nursery rhyme, but now we sing our own words as well. So, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” became “Love, Love, Love Your Friends;” “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” became “Jesus, Jesus, My Best Friend,” etc.
How do I use sing?
1. Go to www.seedsfamilyworship.net and buy a CD. 2. Put in your car and press play. 3. Download any of our Sing songs. 4. Begin singing or creating ones of your own from your kids’ favorite nursery rhymes.
Why sing?
We all know the value of music as it relates to learning. If you want it to stick, sing! I have watched my own children adopt singing as a main vehicle for their learning. Music is magical.
In the case of the songs we wrote, they utilized a trigger that was present already. Nursery rhymes are familiar and require little additional learning. They are also present in your every day routine – books, videos, etc. All you have to do is learn the simple words with your child and then enjoy the opportunities to learn God’s truths together! So, here are a few that we enjoyed when our kids were toddlers. If you have a favorite nursery rhyme, have fun and create some words of your own. We would love for you to share it with all of us.
I believe the real power of the songs we created from the nursery rhymes is the understanding that I gained as a parent on the journey. I had an agenda – teach these kids some great songs about Jesus. But my kids didn’t want to sing them. They wanted to sing “row, row, row your boat.” So, I beat my head against the wall for awhile, trying to get them to value my agenda and then realized that I needed a new plan. So, I began asking questions – what is it about a nursery rhyme that draws them? Why do they love those songs more than the ones I want us to sing? Perhaps it is the rhythm and rhyme of the songs, the simplicity of the songs, the repetition of the song, etc. So, then I decided to go with it. Use the tune, the repetition and the simplicity but create the content that is drawing me and content that I hope to draw them too. As we train up our kids, we need to listen, watch, ask questions and use the things that interest them. Value their fun and enjoy the steps together, hand in hand.
In the case of the Seeds music, it is the brilliance of a Bible verse put to a catchy and cool tune where the words are repeated over and over again. It is this repetition and the great rhythm that seals the deal and creates a scene where the whole family is singing along.
