How to Get Kids to Improve Their Reading By Playing Handbells

Studies Show: Learning to Read Music Increases Children's Enjoyment of Reading in General

Things You'll Need to Lead a Handbell Group:

Person directing does NOT need to have previous musical ability or knowledge. However, having enough voice to be able to sing simple songs recognizably would be very helpful.

Group of children age K-8. For chord method, 9 or more children will be divided into 3 groups.

Color cards, children's music and director books.

Color coded BELLS: Regular, Deskbells with handles, Deskbells without handles, Kidsplay bells.

DVD player.

Start with the DVD "Ringing In Color", for a good overview of the color-coded handbells, teaching aids, publications and accessories available, showing children in K-8 using both chord and melody methods. These materials are so comprehensive that even a teacher or volunteer with no previous musical knowledge or experience can set up and run a handbell group teaching children how to ring in color, progress to sight reading, and love playing music together.

Begin your group with a basic songbook such as "The Color-Ring Book!", a color-coded songbook for KidsPlay Handbells, by Little Ringers. This songbook makes music reading and playing fun! Using a 13 bell chromatic set, the book includes 19 songs with color-coded melodies and chord symbols children can play immediately. Melodies with large, easy to read notes and colors matching the bells include both secular and sacred songs. One verse or chorus of the lyrics is included for each song. A chart at the bottom of the page shows the child, parent or teacher which bells are used for playing melodies and chords. Song include: "Are You Sleeping?", "Blue Bells of Scotland", "Clementine", "Deck the Halls", "If You're Happy and You Know It", "Jingle Bells", "Up on the Housetop", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", "The First Noel", "Ode to Joy", and "When the Saints Go Marching In".

Selecting The Handbells For Your Group: Color-coded handbells come in three styles, to accommodate all needs. In addition to the regular handbells with handles that you ring by swinging them, there are color-coded desk bells which, when arranged on a flat surface, require only the touch of a finger to make them ring. These deskbells enable those with physical challenges to participate fully. Finally, there is a combination color-coded bell which allows the ringer to either swing the bell by the handle, or ring it with the touch of a finger. These different styles make it possible to choose bells which meet the needs of everyone in your group. This writer uses the combination deskbell with handle style, to best accommodate the needs of all players.

Choose either the Chord or Melody Method: Using materials such as the "Color-Ring Book" and Chord or Melody Cards, the director and children can play simple songs with great success even from their very first session! For the chord method, children are divided into three groups, for playing the 3 chords most needed to accompany any song. (I, IV and V, for those musically knowledgeable.) For the melody method, holding up the color-coded note cards enables beginning players to ring the melody notes in correct sequence for the song. Once children hear that they can play songs together successfully using this method, they are really excited to start learning how to read color-coded music in order to play any song of their choice. As they become more advanced, there are DVDs included with many of the song collections which allow professional-sounding accompaniment of the children's chord or melody playing. Now your group will want to go "on the road" to perform for audiences: For other children's groups, groups of senior citizens, for a church congregation, even for a handbell "Ringathon" - a playoff with other children's handbell groups.

There are many song collections available for your handbell group, some including CDs or DVDs for added professional accompaniments. In "Celebrations For 8 Note Handbells", for instance, eight appealing melodies for the C-c 8 note diatonic bell sets include melodies supported by two exciting CD accompaniment tracks for young players. The collection begins with very basic first-time players' melody assignments and builds slowly to moderate beginners' arrangements. The purchaser is given permission to photocopy the written score. Included is a beautiful arrangement of "The River", which with its accompaniment will make your beginning group sound very impressive! This songbook is part of the well-known "SweetPipes" collection available on many different music publication sites.

There are many important connections between learning to read music and successfully learning to read words and language:

Music can motivate children to read.

Music is a potential tool for helping build successful readers.

Music and reading go together because music celebrates language.

Music is universal.

Through music, children experience the wholeness of language.

Language naturally has rhythm and melody. Children bring this language with them when they read.

Shared and choral reading are effective ways to help children connect songs to print.

Children are naturally drawn to the rhythm, rhyme and tempo of music.

Using music to teach reading draws on the natural rhythm and rhyme of language.

The connection between music and reading helps to develop a love for reading. Playing handbells is one outstandingly successful way to get kids to like reading!