Sing Today, Read forever!
Singing and music skills are linked with reading.
Singing precedes talking.
Thank you to Vered from BabyinTune
Thank you to Victoria Volz
All children can learn to keep a beat
as well as other basic music skills
Music skills are correlated with reading skills.
Rock ‘n’ Read Project offers:
Brain Train activities - free!
Use to develop babies’, toddlers’, and preschoolers’ brains for reading
A Song A Day: Brain Prep for Pre-Readers
50 fun, short lessons that develop children’s pre-reading skills
Musical Fitness Assessment - free!
Find out whether children have mastered basic music skills
Presentations and workshops
For early childhood educators and K teachers
Research Bibliography:
Effects of Music-Making on Brain Development and Achievement
11 pages of brain research and other studies
Music-Making Matters:
Brain Prep for Pre-Readers
A Summit for early childhood, reading, music, research, and policy organizations and individuals
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
8:30 am - 1 pm
American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis
Registration coming soon!
Keynote
Dr. Anita Collins
An international speaker, Dr. Collins will travel from Australia where she leads the company Bigger Better Brains. She holds a PhD in neuroscience and a MA in music education. Dr. Collins wrote the script for the highly successful TEDEd video, How Playing an Instrument Benefits your Brain, presented a TEDx Talk, What if Every Child Had Music Education from Birth? and authored the book, The Music Advantage: How Music Helps Your Child Develop, Learn, and Thrive. author of The Music Advantage
Sessions
How to Use Singing and Basic Music Skills to Develop Young Brains for Reading - Ann Kay, Rock 'n' Read Project
Practitioners Panel - including PICA Head Start Education Director Chau Nyguen and MN Teacher of the Year David Davis
Luncheon Discussion with affinity groups
