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I have always been an incredibly musically-challenged person. Seriously–my husband once told me I didn’t have to sing in church. I always laughed it off and remained self-deprecating about my deficiencies, but when I became a parent, I promised myself that my own children would not face the same fate. At the ripe old age of three, my daughter was enrolled in Suzuki violin lessons. As per the Suzuki methodology, I was right there by her side; she had an adorable mini-violin, and I awkwardly navigated a full-size instrument. I became absolutely fascinated watching my daughter adeptly develop her skills: the lessons were fabulously scaffolded, her teachers used color coding and mnemonics to help lessons sink in, and there was a LOT of individual and group practice. The Suzuki method is mastery-based. Students cannot advance to the next level until they have mastered all the skills previously introduced. Because my daughter was young, her mind and ears quickly adapted to the new language: she was like a sponge. I, on the other hand, was like a drowning rat. I made it to the end of Book 1 with her, and then it was just hopeless; I would only hold her back. She played for twenty more years and continued to thrive. She seemed like a total natural, but beneath that polished exterior lay years of hard work in mastering the foundational aspects. Years later, I gave up practicing law and became an English teacher at an inner-city high school. It was the most challenging and rewarding experience I have ever had. All my students were bright and incredibly motivated, but a vast majority were academically challenged. I quickly realized that my students lacked the basic foundational skills needed to succeed in an academic environment, especially in college. While they could read, write, and speak in English, they were nowhere near the level needed to critically assess authors or to effectively engage in rhetorical discourse. As I struggled with how best to help my students, I found myself reflecting back. I came to appreciate that learning music and learning the English language share several fascinating parallels, particularly relating to the parts of speech, syntax, and sentence structure. Both disciplines require a mastery of foundational building blocks, whether through the intricate arrangement of musical notes or the nuanced expression of spoken and written words. I often reflected back on my daughter’s musical journey (as well as my own humble journey) and took lessons from the way she learned music and applied it to teaching English in my own classroom. Let’s take a closer look at the similarities. Parts of Speech and Musical Notes Parts of Speech: In English, there are eight parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections). Each word plays a specific role by conveying meaning within a structure, allowing speakers and writers to articulate thoughts clearly and effectively. For instance, nouns identify subjects or objects, verbs express actions or states of being, adjectives provide descriptive detail about nouns, and adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs to give additional context. Mastering the parts of speech allows students to think flexibly and become comfortable knowing that one word can act as various parts of speech. For instance, many assume that "kitchen" is always a noun. In the sentence, “My kitchen is dirty,” kitchen is a noun acting as the subject of the sentence. But in the sentence, “A bird hit my kitchen window,” kitchen acts as an adjective because it modifies the noun window. Musical Elements: Similar to how words form a sentence, notes on a staff make up the content of an arrangement. Once students have mastered the pitches of these notes, they gain the ability to appreciate that notes can be altered beyond their natural state (A, B, C, D, E, F, G). A single note can be made sharp or flat, resulting in a different pitch. Occasionally, one pitch can be represented by two different notes. For instance, both C♯ and D♭ denote the same pitch. Without a strong foundation, students cannot fully appreciate how pitches create melodies, rhythms provide timing and flow, dynamics add intensity and volume, and harmonies enhance the texture of the music. Grasping the basics of these musical elements is vital for effective musical expression, much like how understanding parts of speech is critical to language proficiency skill. Sentence Structure and Syntax vs. Musical Syntax Syntax: Syntax governs how sentences are structured. Understanding how word order impacts meaning is critical. For example, despite having the same five words, the sentence "The cat chased the bird" does not convey the same thing as "The bird chased the cat." Having a solid grasp of syntax and structure enables writers to make informed rhetorical decisions. For example, short, simple sentences strung together often create a sense of speed or anticipation. Whereas compound and complex sentences allow for intricate layering and highlighting details. Think–legal brief. Musical Syntax: In music, the arrangement of notes and rhythms follows specific rules and conventions akin to syntax in language. Notes must be placed correctly on the staff, and the order in which notes are played can alter the mood and message of a composition. For instance, a sequence of ascending notes may evoke feelings of joy or anticipation, while descending notes might convey sadness or resolution. Just as different sentence structures can convey different meanings, various musical forms can evoke different emotional responses and narratives. Musicians, like writers, must have a solid grasp on the fundamental building blocks before they can employ strategies to communicate their musical messages effectively. When I realized my English students were lacking in the foundational building blocks, I brought them all the way back to the very basics and started with the parts of speech. My mantra was mastery: “failure is not an option” (I would show the scene from Apollo 13 with that line). Many of my students really struggled in the journey toward mastery because they didn’t master the basics at an early age when they could have easily absorbed them all. I totally understood because it was similar to my own experience struggling through Book I in violin, while my daughter sailed through it and excelled. To their credit, my students plowed through and succeeded. Average ACT English scores jumped from 18 to 24 without any test preparation. All who wanted to attend college could do so; many went on to attend elite universities, and some even went on to become English majors. I can say with confidence that, without my own musical interlude, I would never have gained the insight that helped me change the trajectory of my students' lives.

It is our mission to support educators, and we are also open to answering any questions you may have. If you don't see the answer here, reach out. Frequently Asked Questions Whether you are a new or existing member of our Flock, you probably have some questions. Browse through these FAQs to find answers to commonly asked questions about our Colors of English program. If you cannot find what you are looking for please email us at support@colorsofenglish.com or click below to reach out. Contact Us Is Colors of English a stand-alone curriculum? No, our materials are an effective supplementary tool to enhance in-class instruction and engage students in a fun and memorable way. It is a resource that can be implemented within the framework of any existing curriculum in school or at home. Writing, like reading, is an ongoing developmental process that takes years to perfect. We provide both students and teachers with the foundational structure and the metalinguistic tools to discuss how students can make effective choices by expressing themselves creatively. What grades does the Colors of English serve? Our learning fun and engaging materials can be used with students of all ages. They work particularly well with sindergarten to 6th grade students. However, this curriculum is dynamic and flexible, and can be implemented in upper classrooms as well. Teachers have even found great success in using the Colors of English materials as ACT/SAT prep in a high school setting! Why do students need to know the parts of speech? Knowing the parts of speech is essential for students! It is not about memorizing categories, it is about understanding how they work with sentences. Many words can act as several different parts of speech depending on the context. When students understand the role that the parts of speech play within sentence patterns, they are equipped with the tools to make sense of the English language. They become better writers and readers, especially when transitioning from learning to read to reading to learn. Can I use the Colors of English program for my students as a parent? Yes, the Colors of English provides materials for all learning settings, including at home! This program is an excellent way to keep students engaged over the summer, during the school year as a homeschooling program, or year round as an after-school supplement to in-class learning. How does the Colors of English appeal to different learning styles? We understand that learning is a very indvidual process. In addition to the character based stories related to each Word Bird, we use color-coding, mind maps, and graphic organizers to develop interpersonal learning and vocabulary development. Our hands on and tactile materials used for games and activities include rhythmic and auditory activities as outlined in the instructor’s guide. We have something for everyone! Check our research page to learn more. What kind of support does the Colors of English provide to instructors and users? We are here to tailor our program to your specific needs. The Colors of English program comes with an easy-to-follow instructional guide, complete with lesson plans for every day of instruction and additional ideas and activities to supplement learning. We also offer targeted professional development programs to provide success in all situations from home-school to district wide implementations. Why do you only focus on birds in your primary program? Birds are everywhere and are not bound by geographic or political boundaries; they are a universal concept. Confining the scope of the program to a single subject helps students focus on structural and syntactical elements they need to develop strong foundational skills. Our Word Birds, and their unique personalities, help students break down often complicated concepts and allow them to process these concepts effectively. Not to mention, they are cute, cuddly, and huggable; the tactile nature of the birds and games further reinforce and solidify target learning goals. Why is color coding important? Color coding offerings amazing benefits. Research indicates associating colors with concepts stimulates different neural pathways than learning in black and white alone. Switching colors also requires students to pause momentarily, helping them focus and solidify their thought process. By stimulating higher attention and involvement, color coding also helps students remember and retain the information. How can you use these materials with other curriculum materials? For a more detailed explanation, please see our instructional guide. However, words are everywhere, and every word (and picture) provides an opportunity to talk about how language works. Students, even pre-readers, can use picture books or storybooks to discuss the rhetorical choices of authors and illustrators. For example, you can ask students to go on a noun-hunt or create charts that identify the emotional journey (states of being) of characters. The options are limitless, and we look forward to hearing how teachers and parents use our materials to engage with their own students. What standards does the Colors of English work with? The Colors of English curriculum is designed to ensure students meet federal and state standards. For more information on our scope and sequence, visit the link here . Can I purchase items from the Word Bird Box separately? Yes, we offer most elements contained in the Bird Box separately. The box is designed as a single teacher resource or home set. We sell classroom sets of all of the workbooks. We also sell sets of Word Birds! In addition to the contents of the Word Bird Box, we offer numerous resources that can be accessed by our subscribers or purchased for downloads. To purchase items separately or as a full program, please contact us.

If you are interested in collaborating with us to develop a research project related to our materials and your students, please reach out. We'd love to work with you.