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Here's How (and Why) It Works...

Follow a single song as it makes its way
                                  through the community...

  • Nancy presents workshop for teachers where they learn a song about cats.

  • Students sing the cat song at school.

  • Teachers tell parents about the cat song their children have learned and display the poster with the QR code to the song

  • Nancy presents a parent workshop where parents learn cat song, and receive information on how singing builds early literacy and learning skills.

  • Parents visit SingWithOurKids.com where they can download and sing the cat song with their children.

  • Parents and children visit the pet store, where children get a “song sticker,” prompting them to visit the website to hear the cat song and download other songs and activities about animals.

  • Parents take children to Island Books, where Nancy reads several “books that sing” about pets, and sings the cat song. Parents can purchase the books they have heard in the program, and download more pet songs from the free website. They also receive information and tips on using books and music to build early literacy.

  • Children go to story time at the library, where Margaret the librarian does a program about pets, and sings the cat song. She has additional activities parents can do at home, and related books to check out.

  • Children SKYPE with their grandparents 3,000 miles away, and are thrilled to learn their grandparents also know the cat song.
    AND....
     they all sing together!

Now imagine the same thing being done with many other songs,
in many other places over the course of nine months.

And now imagine the entire project, including songs, instructional videos, early learning and early literacy information, and blog documenting the project, along with parent and community comments and stories, being posted on a website where it becomes a permanent free resource for communities worldwide.

“Is there a cost for schools participating
in the project?”
No! This is a pilot project, and all programs, events, website materials and classes will be free. All public events will be open to anyone, not just Mercer Island residents. I will donate my time to all events and development of website content.

“Our school already has a music specialist.
Can we still participate?”
That’s great, and yes! There are still many ways you can take advantage of the project materials and events. One example will be the all-Island events including parent talks on music and early learning. You can participate just by supporting and publicizing them through your school newsletter, school  e-mails, and event posters. And I will work with you to help you to customize the website tools to fit your particular situation using your music teacher and his or her materials.

“Our teachers write their own songs that we use.  Can those be included in the project?”
You’re welcome to request traditional songs to be included. Due to copyright issues and website development costs, the initial website song library will be limited to mostly traditional and some original songs I will or have already recorded. However, the goal of the website is to provide a template and all necessary tools for schools and communities everywhere to use. I will be happy to work with you to create your own school model.

“If all of the materials, programs, and events are free, why are you doing this?”
It’s simple. After thirty years of writing, performing, and presenting for a wide range of children, librarians, teachers, early learning organizations, and many other groups, I have seen the need for this kind of project. Every year I find children know fewer and traditional songs. Singing together builds early learning and literacy skills, cultural values, memories, and community. As we sing together less and less, there are fewer songs we all know, and as a result we sing less and less! So it’s become a vicious cycle.

Sing With Our Kids will provide songs and opportunities to sing them, not just at school, but with family and community. The key to the project’s success will be in having both a comprehensive and totally free resource website and live community project with broad participation. Each will enhance the other. Having lived on Mercer Island for thirty years, I realized it is the perfect community in which to conduct this unique and ambitious project. And with the international connections my artist website has built, I have no doubt what we do in the community of Mercer Island will be followed and duplicated by teachers, librarians, and parents all over the world.

“Is this a non-profit project?”
No. After researching the possibility of creating a non-profit to execute this project I concluded it didn’t make sense,  and I wanted it to be free of any constraints.