Early Childhood Educ J

DOI 10.1007/s10643-014-0681-2

Vowels—Sonic Gems of Emotion for Social Communication:

Practical Singing Strategies for Non-musician Teachers
with Developmentally Diverse Young Children
Kaja Weeks

 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Abstract Communicative and social capacities are While social capacities of engagement and communication
known to be of primary developmental importance to all are known to be of primary developmental importance to
children and often present a particular difficulty for chil- all children, they often can be particularly difficult for
dren with neurodevelopmental disorders. A recurring children with neurodevelopmental disorders (American
challenge for teachers is achieving effective communica- Psychiatric Association 2013). Singing, whether self-pro-
tion with children who span developmental diversity (e.g. duced or heard from others, is known as a pleasurable and
inclusive settings or those with a range of special needs) fruitful experience that garners attention and engagement
while using practical strategies that feel manageable to the from all young children. Important qualities of music in
teachers themselves. Music, a powerful affective medium, childhood development are its flexibility and appeal in a
is appealing to all children and has the inherent flexibility medium that also supports emotional growth, communi-
to reach differing individuals. Thus, it is especially valu- cation and social relating.
able for children with autism and other special needs. Within the medium of singing, vowels—functioning as
However, teachers without musical training may miss a sonic gems of emotion—may help non-musician teachers
great deal of music’s potential benefits. The author facilitate rich relational strategies that are particularly
describes an affective singing technique that, while effective with mixed groups of developmentally diverse
grounded in vocal practice and music theory, uses an overt children. Whether a particular child responds, in turn, with
focus upon vowels—vowels being known conveyors of singing or other explicit musical behavior is not the goal of
emotion in sounded communication. This natural port of the interaction. Rather, the aim of this strategy is to enable
entry offers non-musician teachers a simple and accessible the teacher’s singing or other vocalizations, enhanced
way to incorporate live singing into daily activities that through attention to vowels, to spark a child’s attention,
opens space for two-way affective communication, a cru- engagement, communication, and social reciprocity.
cial component of social development. Key concepts in this
paper are elucidated by childhood instructional and play
scenarios and graphics. The discussion is supported by A View of Teachers’ Singing in Classrooms
published behavioral and imaging research.
From the myriad musical activities preschool teachers
Keywords Music
Singing
Vowels
Relational
choose, a review of surveys and observations points to
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Preschool teachers singing as one of the most frequent and valued (Gillespie
and Glider 2010; Tobin et al. 2011). Moreover, in suggested
uses of music for early childhood teachers, drawn from
professional literature spanning 15 years (1985–2010),
singing has been most frequently suggested for musical
K. Weeks (&) expression of classroom management and non-musical
ITS: Developmental Therapy Services (DTS), Inc., 10605
Concord St., Suite 102, Kensington, MD 20895, USA learning (Lee 2012). For classroom teachers, singing
e-mail: [email protected] assumes many forms and has a variety of goals, such as

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large group recreational singing, finger plays, individual Descriptions from the literature highlight the affective,
emotional regulation, support of cognitive skills, literacy, ritualistic, and pedagogical uses of teachers’ singing.
social skills, and overall well-being. Singing during transi- Variables also explain certain of its strengths and weak-
tions soothes children during change (Mathews 2012). At nesses, giving the present approach a context.
larger schools music activities often fall upon classroom
teachers who, unlike music specialists, are more likely to use
it for ‘‘non-musical’’ goals (Nardo et al. 2006). Singing Techniques can Support Agendas
Worth singling out are activities related to early lan-
guage development. Long paired with singing (Chen-Haf- As many preschool teachers often use singing for musical
teck 1997), more inventive ways emerge as research activities in their classrooms, the singing practices recom-
clarifies music’s potential role for young learners. Teachers mended here may dovetail with agendas while naturally
make use of words, sounds, rhymes, and rhythmic patterns facilitating communicative and social issues. However,
with aural and oral integration of songs and literacy skills teachers without musical training or without a relational-
(Wiggins 2007; Green et al. 2006). Creating original story musical perspective, may miss much of music’s unique
songs is a teaching tool that involves adapting stories and potential benefits. They are not familiar with the nuanced
elaborating songs (Ringgenberg 2003). Jalongo and Ribb- expressions that arise from study and play with musical ele-
lett (1997) highlight the whole genre of song picture books ments (e.g., rhythm, melody, volume, tempo, tone color, etc.)
such as ‘‘Old MacDonald.’’ Their use fosters connections Nevertheless, as detailed here, there are simple techniques that
between singing, pictures, reading and writing—all classroom teachers (with or without music training) could
simultaneously contributing to emerging literacies in music accomplish and apply to their interactions with typically-
and in print. developing children and with young children having special
A literature review confirms that various factors influ- needs who may all be grouped together for instruction or play.
ence the nature of teachers’ singing interactions with their The suggested purposeful use of sung vowels is particularly
students. Examples include the prevalence of active singing valuable in diverse constellations to support teachers’ emo-
in the culture from which teachers are drawn; curriculum tional statements, co-regulate through signals, show attune-
preparedness; and socio-cultural norms. For instance, while ment and, in turn, elicit responses from children because they
American teachers choose singing over other possible have internalized communications with more ease.
musical activities and value its effect on children’s affect
and learning, they often state their own need for more
training and self-report low confidence in their singing Simple Objectives
abilities (Moore 2002). Musical preparedness of American
teachers is comparatively weak, and the teachers come The efficacy of these sound effects, which are embedded in
from a culture in which being involved with music per- the present approach, arise from the nature of acoustics,
sonally is often a receptive (i.e., listening) rather than musical elements, and vocal production. Three practical,
active music-making process. This is in stark contrast to, rudimentary objectives for communicating affect by early
for example, the Venda culture (Blacking 1973) of present childhood teachers are suggested:
day, post-apartheid South Africa, which has managed to
keep alive its vibrant music traditions as a society even as it 1. Use of affect through vocalized exclamations
merges and is challenged with its new ‘‘rainbow’’ identity. 2. Use of affect through simple songs
Venda children sing vociferously with their teachers as 3. Use of affective singing for transitions.
well as with each other and there is an over-arching The relational significance of these objectives is examined
musical fabric of life (Emberly 2013). in the following sections. Specific illustrations related to
Japanese preschool teachers place top value on singing. classroom activities, practice tables and figures, based on
Like American teachers, they lead children in singing the author’s experience and relevant published scientific
frequently and with a variety of songs throughout the cal- research, are also included.
endar year. Both piano and voice are a solid part of Japa-
nese preschool teachers’ training. In contrast to North
American emphasis on individuality, Japanese teachers Appeal of Music, Especially Singing
consistently engage the class group as a whole during
singing. They do not encourage modification of song lyrics Almost all young children love music (Dansereau 2011),
by specific children since singing, as a reflection of Japa- and children with various special needs have been found to
nese culture, is considered to be an act of social unity be responsive to it (Hallam and Price 1998; Levitin et al.
(Adachi 2013; Tobin et al. 2009). 2003; Nordoff and Robbins 1983). One explanation for its

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heightened appeal may be that sound patterns found in just try to sing a tune on ‘‘s’’! Nasal consonants, such as
music are comparatively simpler than those in speech. ‘m’ and ‘n’ also sustain sound but do not serve a variety of
Musical patterns require slower brain processing speeds effects, though they are important in selected languages.
than speech patterns (Zatorre et al. 2002). This simplicity is However, by speaking or singing the vowel sound of the
especially true in traditional children’s music with its letter ‘o’ one can sail away with that sound for as long as
repetitive musical patterns. Moreover, recent neuroscience breath supports it!
research validates music’s powerful role in eliciting emo- No wonder so many songs begin with a ‘‘pick-up beat’’
tions, including the initial stage of garnering attention in on the sound of the exclamation ‘‘Oh’’—e.g. ‘‘Oh, say can
autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Heaton 2009; Molnar- you see,’’ the opening of ‘‘The Star Spangled Banner.’’ In
Szakacs and Overy 2006). common language the term ‘‘up beat’’ (anacrusis) is an
Evidence about the power of singing converges from unaccented note(s) that foreshadows a strong ‘‘down beat.’’
diverse scientific angles. For example, when researchers It can occur anywhere in a composition, but we are most
exposed listeners to vocal and instrumental renditions of aware of it at the start of a song. The singer can set up a
the same tunes, enhanced memory for vocal over instru- snappy tempo, or dawdle before settling into the anthem,
mental music was demonstrated (Weiss et al. 2012). In for example. Immediately, a mood gets established—crisp
another investigation, levels of the hormone cortisol mea- or languid—with just the execution of that simple vowel
sured in infants under differing conditions revealed that sound.
live maternal singing is more supportive of arousal than A valuable characteristic of vowels is that since they can
speech (Trehub and Nakata 2002; Shenfield et al. 2003). be sustained, they are open to all kinds of ‘‘color.’’ Color
Live singing, in particular, is a healthy relationship-
builder due to the adaptability of musical elements and • Praise Phrase Examples
their effect in the present moment (Weeks 2009). Colwyn Wide pitch range, rise
rise--fall
Trevarthen and Niki Powers state ‘‘… the voice, driven by
the movements of breathing, gives the richest and the most
intimate and immediate information on our inner state of
mind and body.’’ (Powers and Trevarthen 2009, p. 214).
Good boy!

Vowel Sounds Convey Emotions • Attention

Wide pitch range, end with rise
When adults sing live to children—whether to playfully
sing out directions, as in ‘‘If you’re Happy and You Know
It,’’ that drives hand clapping and foot stomping; to lead
them in a game (‘‘We all fall down,’’ found at the end of
Hey!
the timeless early circle game, ‘‘Ring Around the Rosy’’);
to soothe as in the French lullaby ‘‘Fait dodo, Colas, mon
p’tit frère’’ with its lilting dance rhythm; to march; or to • Soothe
signal lost and found in a peek-a-boo, there is a simple
Long, smooth, falling pitch
technique to effectively alert, engage, and attune to the
children. This is accomplished by adjusting vowels to
emphatically convey the intended message. It is a fact, as
long known by trained singers and actors and, more
recently by scientists, vowels are the sound in singing (and There, there …
speaking) that convey emotions (Powers and Trevarthen
2009). This can be used to teachers’ advantage when
eliciting changes in their own sounds as they sing-song or • Warning, Disapproval
fully sing—conveying cheer, sadness, calm, joy, assertion, Short, sharp
amusement, mystery, and more.
The only way to sustain a truly flexible vocal sound is
upon a vowel, which is cast upon unimpeded breath. One
No! Stop!
may try holding out the sound of a consonant—‘b’, for
example. The only result is short puffs of ‘‘buh, buh, buh.’’ Fig. 1 The shape of a vocalized sound conveys a message. Note
Using sibilants, you can play with rhythm and volume, but Based on the research of (Fernald 1992)

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(timbre) is often thought of as the unique identity of dif- Table 1 Example of a teacher’s affective singing to initiate a
ferent instruments, for example, how a flute sounds is transition
distinctive from a trumpet. But the human voice is also a The action and responses
wizard of producing wide-ranging timbre. We have all Teacher: Communicates with an Initial Sung Vowel
experienced the power of timbre, either as a recipient of it, Children: Alert, Attend, Engage, Anticipate, Enjoy, Gather
as a giver or both; it occurred when we were either babies Vitality
or became parents. Not co-incidentally, many early sounds The situation
that express ideas and affects such as soothing, calming, The children have been in free play time and are scattered all
surprise, or prohibition (See Fig. 1) occur on vowel sounds over the room. They are occupied with others and with toys.
You want them now to put the toys away in order to go to a
(Fernald 1992). While contour (e.g. rising vs. falling) of a
new classroom activity
sound and timing play important roles, the color of the
The solution
vowel sound can greatly clarify one’s intent.
Don’t use the old way: Just start singing a familiar clean-up
Human companionship is first played out in such highly song, (‘‘Clean up, clean up, time to put your toys away’’)
affective mother-infant vocalizations (Stern 1985). We are Use the new way: Precede the verse with ‘‘Oh’’ as a vowel-based
able to inform our approaches with older children and pick-up beat to the song (as the start of The National Anthem,
special needs children in particular by the clarity of form ‘‘Oh, Say Can you See,’’ detailed earlier)
and effect of what has aptly been coined ‘‘communicative Draw out that one sound on ‘‘Oh’’ until you’ve got everyone’s
musicality.’’ This refers to highly expressive musical eyes looking to your eyes; you may even take a breath to keep
holding it while you pick up the stragglers
qualities and prosody as Malloch and Trevarthen (2009a, b)
While you’re holding the tone (you can bet you’ll get attention!)
found to be in place before formal language developed. you can help by pointing to a child’s eyes (go near if
necessary) and then point to your own eyes, indicating ‘watch
me’, as you are singing that long ‘‘Oh.’’
Enhancing Color in Exclamations or Interjections When you’re ready to go, launch into the song verse with a good
breath and all the purposeful release that follows a long wait
and anticipation. Use your arm for the downbeat, and the
Timbre is one element of prosody embedded in speech, children may well be likely to sing along and be primed with
sound effects, or singing. Different colors of sound associate vitality to clean up
to non-verbally expressed meanings which can then be Why it works
layered upon the words themselves. Choices of vocal qual- Vocal expressiveness receives human attention—it’s our biology
ities abound, such as brassy, squeaky, whispered, nasal, (Porges and Lewis 2010)
breathy. Remarkably, the affective sentiment and meaning Vowels carry sustained sound and reflect emotion and intent
expressed through timbre can be perceived in as little as a (Powers and Trevarthen 2009)
single musical sound (Koelsch 2013). Moreover, empirical Vocalizations communicate regulation in social encounters
research supports the notion that children with ASD are (Panksepp and Bernatzky 2002)
responsive to changes of musical timbre (Heaton 2009). Sustaining the opening sound in this manner is novel and attracts
attention
The following are two illustrations of simple, effective
Anticipation is a great emotional/biological magnet for whatever
prosody in speech-like vocalizing. In the first scenario a follows, in this case, the Clean-Up Song (Huron 2006)
5 year-old girl has finished a difficult puzzle that took top-
notch spatial figuring and persistence. The teacher produces
a long ‘‘ah’’—a non-verbal commentary—that starts on a without words; her disapproval is expressed but couched in
high pitch, rises higher and descends slowly, and is bright gentleness that invites (and expects) him to try again.
and clear in tonal quality, reflecting joy to the child about In these examples, whether the teacher subsequently
what she has accomplished. The prosodic sound, together adds words, she has already non-verbally communicated
with an accompanying smile, has thus been paired with her emotional tone and stance very well to each child.
another non-verbal signal to produce a powerful effect. Basic preverbal communications with children who have
In the second situation a boy has reacted to the teacher’s special challenges, such as the young boy, are more likely
second request to hang up his back-pack and hat by putting to be received by him (heard and listened to) than a string
only his back-pack on the hook and then hurriedly aiming of words. Indeed, they may possibly be imitated and/or
his hat so that it drops on the floor; he turns to run off. The stored in both body and memory along with other aspects
teacher knows that even though he has genuine difficulty of the caregiver’s communication, such as words, gestures,
with motor planning and task organization, he is capable of and facial affect. Psychologist Serena Wieder, co-founder
doing this right. She responds with a burst of ‘‘uh’’ (the more with Stanley Greenspan, MD, of the developmental inter-
closed than ‘‘ah’’ vowel sound), thus: two shorts and a long: vention approach known as DIR (Developmental, Indi-
‘‘uh, uh, uh—.’’ ‘‘No way, buddy,’’ she is saying, but vidual, Relational) notes, ‘‘The voice is probably the most

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Table 2 Enriching songs with vowel play and multi-sensory modalities

Song verse* Description Vowel play Add sensory modalities

Los Pollitos Dicen (verse 1) A beloved Latin American song ‘‘Pio, pio, pio’’ with its dipthong of Facial expressions of
‘‘ee’’ and ‘‘oh’’ sounds are perfect to sadness and appeal
Los pollitos dicen Pio, pio, pio Little chicks cry (‘‘pio, pio, either stretch into lingering whines, or Hand(s) wiping away
Cuando tienen hambre Cuando pio’’) to mama when they are vary as clipped, pitiful baby cries pretend tears
tienen frio hungry and cold
Yuki (Snow) (Japanese in Romaji) A popular Japanese children’s The first two lines mean ‘‘snow is Light, wafting finger, arm
song falling; hail is falling’’ motions for snow
falling; tapping fingers
onto open palm for hail
Yuki ya konko, arare ya konko futte About snow and hail falling, They can be distinguished by stage- Tap beat lightly on the
wa fute wa zunzun tsumoru yama covering the trees, creating whispering about snow versus louder, rest of the song for
mo nohara mo wataboshi kaburi snow hats and flowers staccato sounds for hail continuity and flow
kareki nokorazu hana ga saku
Bell horses Bell horses, bell horses Mother Goose from Great Like a trumpet heralding, sing or chant Head and upper body
What’s the time of day? One Britain, originally paired with ‘‘one’’ and ‘‘two’’ (o’clock) with bounces to beat
o’clock, two o’clock. Time to run children’s racing starts and as brave, bright, open vowels sounds: Cup mouth to announce
away dandling/bounces for babies ‘‘ah’’ for ‘‘one’’ and ‘‘oo’’ for ‘‘two’’ ‘‘one o’clock, two
o’clock’’
That will build anticipation of the Alternate hand taps on
clippety-clop style sound of ‘‘time to last line to imitate horse
run away’’ running
*
These tunes can be heard by searching their titles on publicly accessible audio-visual sites, such as www.youtube.com or www.mamalisa.com

powerful tool you have to cue your child. Whether or not ‘eh’ and ‘‘ah’’ in ‘‘Dana’’ and so forth.) At the end of the
he understands the words, the message comes from the song’s last phrase (‘‘We’re glad to see you here’’) even
tone, and the rhythm, and the loudness, and the pacing of more of a lengthening of the final vowel ‘‘eh’’ in ‘‘here’’ is
it.’’ (Greenspan 2004). an effective cadence for the mood. What the teacher is
Using singing (versus speech) to communicate with essentially accomplishing musically is a slowing of tempo,
colors is particularly rewarding because the pitch one is which, affectively, offers an attuned soothing sound linked
singing can be held steadily for a longer time before it to Dana’s sleepy self-state.
changes to a different one. In contrast, pitch within speech In another related scenario, a teacher wants to reach a
shifts constantly and quickly, sometimes even within one child who is not showing much emotion by gently invig-
syllable (Ladefoged 2005). Therefore, playing with and orating her. She makes her sound a little mysterious by
hearing the color of words can be accomplished more using a playfully darker tonal color, communicating
readily in singing than in speech. ‘‘What’s up with you?’’ Darker color comes with making
more closed sounds on the vowels, for example, the ‘o’ in
‘‘Hello’’ sung with rounded, somewhat protruding lips and
leaning closer to ‘‘ooh’’ than a plain ‘‘oh.’’ The less fre-
Expressive Vowel Sounds in Simple Songs quently heard darker timbre is more likely to get a child’s
attention due to its novelty.
Many classroom teachers sing hello to a group of children, Preschoolers are often led to sing about other daily events,
but not all sing hello to each child. Such singing can be an such as the weather and days of the weeks. Many other themes
individual affirmation and a chance to communicate can be put into simple songs (Nordoff and Robbins 1983)
exclusively, establishing a unique affective relationship infused with affect, including: counting the number of chil-
even within a group. For example, a child named Dana dren present; spelling children’s names; naming the chil-
appears a little sleepy one morning, yawning and rubbing dren’s clothes; colors; feelings; seasons; and safety.
her eyes. The teacher may want to pull her in while also
acknowledging her sleepy state. She may accomplish this
by letting her vowel sounds in the words be not only qui- Affective Singing in Transitions
eter but also longer. She can draw out the first vowel
sounds (i.e. the sound ‘eh’ and ‘oh’ in ‘‘Hello’’) and con- Whether lining up or cleaning up, it’s not uncommon for
tinue in the same way with the rest of the vowels (i.e. the young children, especially those who are more rigid about

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Fig. 2 Sonic gems—practice Try this for Practice:

possible shapes of vowels 1. With your finger touch or trace the “gems” one by one, taking note of each shape
2. Repeat, this time while also singing the corresponding vowel (boxed on the left) by vocally
imitating each shape, one by one.

Sing it very short in duration

Ah!

Sing it long, and longer, in duration

Ah ____ Ah __________

Change pitch (high, medium, low)

Ee Ee Ee

Sing smoothly up and down

Ah _____________
Sing disconnected and sharply up and down

Ah! Ah! Ah!

Sing quietly

ooooooh

Sing loudly

OH_______________
Sing softly and burst into loudness

ooooooh _____OH____

Sing a spooky sound

OoOOoOOooooh

Sing a calming sound S lo w, do wn , e ve r -so fte r, smoo th

Ah______________

change, to have difficulty as they move from one activity to reinforcing support of individual differences in sensory
the next. Directives that are made in a busy or noisy processing (Baranek et al. 2006).
environment can be difficult for children to process, par- Details for using an everyday exclamation, ‘‘Oh,’’ to
ticularly so for children with ASD (Russo et al. 2009). direct attention to a familiar song are shown in Table 1.
To ease transitions teachers often make use of visual There we consider an expressive vowel’s function before a
aids, such as charts showing daily schedules. Such familiar customary transition song, namely, for clean up. The
aids can be well supported by affective singing. Combining children may immediately recognize the song and, indeed,
the visual representation with singing or chanting is likely know its intended meaning, but without an attention-
to be much more effective than spoken commentary, which grabber, they may be likely to tune-out or ignore it. Table 1
can get swallowed up by the texture of background sounds. gives details and also provides further understanding about
Singing, by its musical nature, will be more alerting and some of the biological and behavioral stimuli in expressive
engaging. Singing in that situation will also deliver an singing that can move listeners from mindless habituation
additional mode (i.e., hearing) for communication, to a positive response in attitude.

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Multi-modality Strengthens Relational Singing storytelling, and to short individually reinforcing phrases as
commentary or paired with activities and transitions.
The rich multi-sensory communication that begins with Relational strategies in this context are crucial because
mother-infant dyads is characterized by single communi- they help individual children feel known and experience
cations that are conveyed by parallel signals from different learning in the most meaningful way—in social relation-
sensory channels (Gogate et al. 2000). It is a clear template ships, something that can be especially difficult when
that helps us see what pathways can be used, and that is cognitive, emotional, physical, or neurodevelopmental
valuable not only when relating with special needs chil- challenges arise (Greenspan and Wieder 1998). Moreover,
dren, but also when establishing uniquely-tailored back and singing in this way allows for terraced teaching, whereby
forth communication with any child. both the group and diverse individuals may be addressed in
Children continue to actively use multi-modal forms of relatively effortless yet effective ways.
communication into early childhood years with certain Based on the author’s experience as well as published
modes being unique, for example, gestures being used for surveys, observations and a wide range of relevant scien-
meaning that children know but cannot express in words tific research, the emphasis of this article has been on
(Flewitt 2005). Besides gestures, other strong multimodal vowels because they offer a rich and accessible starting
supports teachers can use with singing are body stance; point for interjecting affective musicality into singing.
personal space (nearness and distance); gait; eye contact; Clearly, there are many other practical aspects of meaning,
facial expressions; and sounds beyond basic speech, such speech, and singing as well as individual language and
as laughter, whines, moans, whoops, and humming. See cultural influences that are relevant to this topic and worthy
Table 2 for practice suggestions in expressive sounds that of exploration, but a good starting point is with the musical
are linked with other modalities in songs or chants. gems that carry sound and emotion best—vowels.

Acknowledgments The author wishes to acknowledge Dorothy

Denton for stimulating conversations on early childhood music edu-
Sing, Listen, Adjust, and Sing Again
cation and music therapy, Anne Reynolds for pediatric speech/lan-
guage professional advice and Jessica Phillips-Silver for her
Many anatomical descriptions could be given, such as invaluable insights regarding music neuroscience research.
those that teachers of singing or theatre coaches give for
Conflict of interest The author declares she has no conflict of
how to produce these different sounds. But the effects of interest.
the ‘‘oral-auditory-motor’’ feedback loop—meaning, ‘‘you
sing it-you hear it-your vocal tract adjusts per your mind’s
intent’’—works surprisingly well and quickly (Jones and References
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