Educating with song is a fun and engaging way for children to learn. Sites that specialize? in learning and music are especially useful because they combine audio with text or animation to enhance children’s concentration on the lessons and their overall retention of the subject. These sites teach both with music and about music, so there is sure to be something for everyone.

BBC School Radio
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learninby hoolradio/subjects/earlylearning
The BBC School Radio’s Early Learning section is perfect for children ages 0-4 years. This section is filled with radio shows and videos that accompany music and sounds.
The Listen and Play, Playtime and Wiggle Waggle sections are radio broadcasts for children. They all feature a wide variety of songs and sounds to nurture the development of early learners. Listen and Play emphasizes literacy skills through music, while Playtime and Wiggle Waggle focus more on movement and exercise.
The Nursery Songs section features videos that correspond to nursery rhymes. The videos have the lyrics to the songs, so you can sing along with your child. The simple animations that accompany the songs help tell the story, but are not distracting. The Stimulus Sounds section includes a variety of different sounds, such as weather and animal noises. These can be used to teach children about different things in the world, using sound to discuss different circumstances. BBC School Radio is a valuable resource for preschool-aged children, and introduces a wide variety of music and sounds.

Creating Music
http://www.creatingmusic.com/
Creating Music includes a variety of games that encourage children, ages 3 - 6, to compose their own music. This site provides a fun and simple environment to learn. The games are fairly simple, and mainly consist of selecting different notes and pitches to form a melody. There are also fun, interactive lessons for children on pitch and styles of music. The site has a simple design, and is easy for children and adults to navigate.

Music Timeline
https://www.infoplease.com/arts-entertainment/music/music-timeline
Beginning in the year 325, Info Please’s Music Timeline shows music’s evolution throughout time. This is suitable for any age, but as it is solely text based, it will be most useful to readers. Each entry to the timeline tells a bit about what was happening around that time, and gives the readers a bit of extra information about the event. Through learning about the history of music, children and adults can discover how their favorite genres and songs came to be.

Classical Music Resources
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/themes/arts-resources-classical-music
Arts Edge’s Classical Music Resources has a wide variety of materials for children ages 7-10 who are interested in classical music. There are many articles that are geared towards a younger audience and written in a style and subject matter that is appealing.
The site also features a variety of audio series, with subjects ranging from music of ancient Greece to the language of music that everyone can understand. There are also several video resources, which explore various aspects of classical music. All of the audio and video files can be accessed on iTunes, so they may be used offline. These resources are great for those who prefer to learn through listening.

The Canons and Fugues of J. S. Bach
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~tas3/bachindex.html
This site dives deeply into J. S. Bach’s life and music. The site is text-based, so it will be most beneficial for children over the age of 10. The main page is filled with links to other pages with content on Bach. The first section focuses on Bach’s canons, and it includes information on them, and how they are represented in a few of Bach’s songs. The next section is dedicated to Bach’s fugues, and again shows how they work in Bach’s music. The next section talks about Bach’s life and his career. This is a great site for anyone looking to explore Bach’s music at a very deep level. There are pages of information to explore!

by Caroline LaMotta