Emilia using sensory scarves and movement with children and families at Love Lab in Portland, ME Photo: Pete Nenortas

A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY-BASED WORKSHOP FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

AND CHILDREN’S LIBRARIANS WHO WISH TO ENLIVEN AND STRENGTHEN THEIR PROGRAMMING WITH SONG.

THROUGH THE POWER OF SINGING WE CAN FOSTER A SENSE OF BELONGING,

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING, LANGUAGE ACQUISITION, AND EARLY LITERACY SKILLS!

 

Research shows the link between singing and acquisition of early literacy skills is essential. Singing together activates our brains, bodies, and hearts, and makes us healthier and happier! Enliven your programming, create rhythm, and foster unity with the Sing Me A Story workshop.

Funded, in part, by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission (an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts), and a fellowship through National Arts strategies.

Elements include:

  • The science of singing

  • How singing supports early literacy skills and the whole child

  • Exploring the voice (technically and emotionally)

  • Embodied play and using body language to lead

  • Working with multiple language learners

  • Considerations for diverse groups

  • Parings of books and songs

  • Access to an online resource for ideas and inspiration moving forward

  • Pre and post evaluations

In this experiential, professional development workshop designed for children’s librarians and early childhood educators (3-6 years), we’ll gain comfort and practice skills in leading songs, explore methods for working with diverse groups, and delve into resources to help you employ music in your programming with confidence.

Cost includes: pre-workshop planning support, outreach materials, registration, contact hours form, and pre and post participant surveys.

Contact Emilia to talk cost, COVID safety, and to learn more.

“The Sing me a Story workshop exceeded my every expectation.
I learned so much to share with my already wonderful staff! Emilia makes everyone so comfortable and at ease with her easy smile and genuine warmth. This was by far the workshop with the most actionable information I have attended in a very long time- and it was FUN. Thank you for making this happen for us.”
— MLS participant

Participants play a hiding game and song at a Massachusetts Library Services workshop.

“Emilia’s warm welcoming presence brings people, young and old, in and creates a safe space to explore the connections between music and early literacy.

Community is created when we sing together and with Emilia’s help and reassurance I have gained the confidence to add more music and singing to my story times and early literacy programming.

Learning the fundamental reasons that music and singing help to bolster literacy skills, while having fun and feeling supported and encouraged, enabled me to bring more joy to story time. Emilia’s lessons help me daily and are seen and appreciated by the adult caregivers we work with.

Emilia’s workshops are fun, engaging, confidence-building community sing-alongs that teach you ways to make story time not only more fun but also foundationally stronger.

I highly recommend Emilia’s workshop to all libraries and early childhood centers.”

  • Carrie Hummel, Portland Public Library

2024 Upcoming Workshops and Appearances:

4.27 Reading Roundup Exhibitor, Augusta Civic Center

5.2.24 Caregiver/Baby Workshop. 9:30am @ Nevin’s Public Library, Methuen, MA

5.3-4 Maine AEYC Conference Exhibitor, Holiday Inn By The Bay, Portland, ME

5.10 Profession Development Workshop for early educators @ Merry Barn, Edgecomb, ME in collaboration with Kind Mind

Is Sing Me A Story only for libraries? No! Be in touch if you’re interested in bringing Sing Me A Story to your organization.

Emilia Sings David Mallett’s “Inch By Inch” for young artists at Love Lab Studio in Portland, ME Photo: Christina Bechstein

Emilia has been singing with groups of young people for close to 20 years.  She’s been the producer and host of The Kids Are Alright music series (a partnership between Maine Academy of Modern Music and the Portland Public Library), a teaching artist for The Telling Room and 317 Maine Community Music Center’s Little Roots program, and offers her own singing and songwriting workshops to hundreds of music-lovers of all ages. 

Emilia knows the power of music and singing to nurture a feeling of belonging and transform a space.

Emilia is an award-winning singer-songwriter, mother, and lifelong learner. She's trained in Culturally Responsive Teaching and Trauma Informed Teaching Practices and has studied Orff techniques. She’s attended “community sings” with Dr. Isaye Barnwell (of Sweet Honey and the Rock), and has experienced the joy of singing with groups internationally.