Need Them to Remember It? Try Singing It
“Shoes, backpack, lunch, and coat!” You can repeat a list five times and still watch one important item remain on the kitchen table. But put those same words into a silly tune, and your child may sing them all the way to school.
That familiar parenting trick now has some interesting scientific support.
In a 2026 study published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, researchers compared singing with spoken repetition as methods for helping preschool children memorize classical Chinese poems. Across two experiments, 118 Mandarin-speaking children between ages 4 and 6 participated.
Children who learned through singing generally mastered the poems faster and recalled them more fluently than children who practiced through recitation. In one experiment, the researchers tested the children again six months later. All 29 children in the singing group completed the delayed recall task, compared with 9 of 28 children in the recitation group.
Why might melody help?
A tune gives words additional structure. Rhythm divides language into predictable pieces, while melody offers cues about what may come next. Singing also combines listening, speaking, timing, and movement, creating more than one possible path back to the information.
There may be a motivation advantage, too. Repeating a sentence can feel like work. Singing the same sentence—especially in a ridiculous opera voice—can feel like play.
The researchers found that children did not need exceptional pitch accuracy to benefit. That is welcome news for parents who will never be invited to perform at Carnegie Hall.
Turn ordinary information into a song
You do not need instruments, lessons, or a beautifully composed melody. Borrow a familiar tune or invent one using only two or three notes.
Sing Along With Good News Tommy!
Let's put the research into practice! Good News Tommy has a simple morning song that helps children remember what to do before heading out the door.
Good News Tommy's Morning Routine Song
Brush your teeth and wash your face,
Put on shoes and find your place.
Grab your bag and lunch so neat,
Then we head out to the street.
Brush, wash, shoes, bag, lunch — let's go!
Now you know the things you need to know!
Written by Tom Radd
Free Printable: Good News Tommy's Morning Routine!
Download our free, one-page activity sheet! Print it, sing along, and let your child check off each step of their morning routine.
Free Morning Routine Printable!
Sing along with Good News Tommy! Download our free one-page activity sheet with song lyrics and a fun morning checklist.
Download Free PDF →Try it tomorrow morning: Sing each line while your child completes the matching activity. Point to the pictures as you sing, then see how many steps your child can remember without looking. Add a clap or a little dance for extra fun!
More ways to make learning musical
Try it with learning: Put a phone number, spelling pattern, short poem, or sequence of days into a steady rhythm.
Try the missing-word game: Sing a familiar rhyme, then pause before the final word of each line. Let your child supply the answer.
Add movement: Clap once for each syllable, march to the beat, or create one simple gesture for each important word.
Make it personal: Turn your child's name, favorite activities, or daily responsibilities into a short, silly song they can sing along with.
Keep the musical phrase short at first. Once your child knows it, invite them to change the melody, add a funny voice, or become the “teacher” who sings it to you.
Promising evidence—with limits
This was experimental research, so it provides stronger evidence for the learning method tested than a study that merely observes an association. However, it examined particular Chinese poems taught under structured classroom conditions. It does not prove that singing improves every kind of memory, that every child will respond in the same way, or that the results automatically apply to every language and home activity.
A separate four-year study of 216 children ages 3–7 also found that participation in early-childhood music education was associated with improvements in several musical and language measures. That study did not include a control group, so it cannot establish that music instruction alone caused the gains.
The practical message is delightfully modest: when repetition is becoming dull, give the words a beat and a melody. Your child may remember more—and both of you may enjoy the practice considerably more.