Music is a great way for people to relax and relate to other people.
Can it also be a way to teach language? Children often listen to music and learn little songs, but they usually have to talk before they can sing. That isn’t the case for 2-year-old Bo. Thanks to his sister, he is learning new words through song almost every day.
When Bo’s mom, Amanda Bowman Gray, needed to take a shower, she asked her daughter, Lydia, to watch Bo.
Bo has down syndrome and limited speech. He loves to listen to his sister sing and play the guitar. While Amanda showered, Lydia sang to Bo. Bo laughed and clapped as usual, but he also started to sing.
When Amanda got out of the shower, she watched as Lydia and Bo played together, and to her amazement, Bo was singing “You Are My Sunshine” right along with his sister. Although Bo sometimes struggles to learn new words through speech, he can learn them a lot easier through song.
Amanda decides to record the siblings, so she could share it with family and friends.
In the video, Lydia plays her guitar while Bo sits nearby. He watches her with excitement and listens as she starts to sing. When he hears his favorite parts, he joins in. Some of his favorites words in the song are, “happy,” “gray,” “dear,” and “away.” He knows he is doing something impressive when he sings, and his little face lights up.
He can tell his mom and sister are proud of him, and he appears to be proud of himself, as well. Bo is still working on new words, but he already knows 12 so far. All the words he knows, he learned through music.
“Every word he has learned has been through music and singing.”
Lydia is proud to be able to teach these words to Bo, and she loves to play guitar and sing with him.
It’s a great way for the siblings to bond, and Amanda is thankful that her kids get along so well.
The lyrics of “You Are My Sunshine” are as follows.
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey.
You’ll never know dear, how much I love you, please don’t take my sunshine away.
The other night dear, as I laid sleeping, I dreamed I held you by my side.
When I awoke dear, I was mistaken, and I hung my head and cried.
Repeat Chorus
You told me once dear, you really loved me, and no one else could come between.
But now you’ve left me, and you love another, and you have shattered all my dreams.
Repeat Chorus
I’ll always love you and make you happy if you will only say the same.
But if you leave me to love another, you’ll regret it all someday.
Repeat Chorus”
Many parents sing the chorus of this touching song to their babies, and babies seem to love it.
Lydia and Bo enjoy other songs together, too, but this is one of his favorites. Hopefully, Lydia and Bo will continue to sing together and Bo will continue to learn new words through music. Who knows? One day, Bo may take up the guitar, too, and he and Lydia can write songs together. Their mother, Amanda, will be proud of them no matter what and will always be their biggest fan.
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Source: Amanda Bowman Gray via Facebook
