25th Sing Out Day

Open up your vocal cords and sing out loud from your heart on Sing Out Day. Celebrated on May 25th it is a day to  encourage people to sing. The world is your stage on  Sing Out Day.  Grab a microphone, play your favourite tune and sing your heart out!

The children at my school seem to love singing and probably do not need too much encouragement to sing, but whenever there is a performance for some event, the music teachers come to see me, to borrow books about singing louder, or being confident on stage.

What do I give them? Some of these:

Small Florence has big dreams of becoming a piggy pop star. But when she tries to sing in front of her two older sisters, nothing comes out but a shy little squeak! When her sisters get the chance to sing in a contest on TV, Florence wishes she could join them. On the day of the competition, the judges get ready to pick a star. And then a truly amazing thing happens!

The school on Elephant Island is holding a talent show, and all the children are excited -- all the children, that is, except for Ella. Belinda's going to do ballet, Tiki's planned a magic act, but Ella doesn't have a single idea. She can't sing, dance, or play an instrument -- doesn't Ella have any talent at all? 

My little brother thinks I'm the best singer in the world. But I can't sing if there are too many people. When I was six, we were having a performance at school to celebrate spring. It would be on a real stage, with proper spotlights. I told the teacher I didn't want to...

It's springtime and a young songbird hears the joyous songs of her siblings and desperately wants to sing along-only she doesn't yet know what special tune she can add to their chorus. Encouraged by her mother to leave the nest, the songbird flies off on a quest to find the song that only she can sing.

Two funny frogs stick together and make their dreams come true! It's Bertha's day to try out for the prestigious frog choir, but when she sings...the other frogs cover their ears! Poor Bertha is sad when she doesn't make the choir, but she's not alone. Bertha's best friend Lucy is too little to try out. What will they do? The two of them cook up an idea that might make both of their dreams come true.

The wolf always wanted to become an artist. One day, he decides to try and to find his talent. Then, he tries different activities: painting, writing poems, acting, etc. until one day, he finds out that he can sing and creates a rock band with his friends. 

An empowering and colourful picture book to help young children celebrate their voice and express themselves.

This is the perfect book to teach children in and out of the classroom that they're not too young to express what they believe in and that all voices are valuable.

Day after day, the song drifts on to the breeze and through the town. It makes the old feel young and comforts the lonely. It fills the whole town with joy and kindness. No one knows who sings the song, but they know it is good. 

Follow a child who is so shy she doesn't speak. With the encouragement on an enchanting and magical teacher, she writes a poem. But a poem is meant to be read aloud! She musters all her courage, stands at the front of the class and shows her classmates that she does have a voice. And her voice is BEAUTIFUL! The perfect way to encourage empathy in young children and show shy children how to feel brave.

A touching tale of courage and how sometimes the smallest voice can deliver the biggest message.

Chipmunk spends her days sitting on her rock and chirping her song—sometimes it’s happy, sometimes it’s bittersweet, and sometimes it’s very sad indeed. When Chipmunk goes off to find a companion that will sing along with her, she encounters some bumps (and pine cones) along the way, and finds friends (and harmonies) in unexpected places.

Warble the walrus LOVES to sing. Unfortunately, she is not very good at it! And when her atrocious warbling causes an avalanche, the other walruses leave her all alone. But when you SING like no-one is listening, SOMETIMES, they start to hear you…

16th April World Voice Day

World Voice Day celebrates the importance of the human voice. Imagine having no voice. The only time I wish for that is on some wet days at school  when the class is stuck inside at lunchtime and are using outside voices. Getting the right voice for the right occasion can be so important. Every teacher has some management gimmick to ensure that her students know what is appropriate. Reading stories which promote discussion of the 'right' voice may also help. Here are some suggestions:

• Willow's Whispers by Lana Button and Tania Howells tells the story of a a shy and softly spoken girl called Willow and
how she resourcefully overcomes her school troubles.
• Too Loud Lily by Sofie Laguna and Kerry Argent tells the story of Lily who is too loud at home and school, but she finally discovers she needs to be loud in the school play.
• Loudmouth Louis by Anne Fine. This is a short novel suitable for serialising to young children. It is about Louis, a boy who never stops talking. He announces that he is going to be silent if people sponsor him in order to raise money for a new school library. Louis surprises himself, discovering that he actually likes listening to others.
• My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook. This too is about a boy named Louis who never stops talking. He interrupts all the time and says exactly what he is thinking.
• Giraffe's Big Night by Carrie and David Grant. Giraffe is an opera singer about to embark on a performance. When she wakes that morning she finds that she is hoarse. How will she sing? This story shows children how precious and precarious a voice can be.

At school we often use the word 'voice' also in the context of writing. I love to use Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne to show students how the same events can appear to be very different when described by different witnesses. Here four characters all have the same experience in the park but you certainly get different points of view.