Music Review: Wee Sing America
As we head towards 4th of July, I went searching for some kid-friendly versions of the patriotic songs that every American child should know. I wasn’t thrilled with what I had in my own music collection (either they were on old worn out cassettes, or the versions just weren’t great for younger kids to sing along with), so I went to Amazon, as I do pretty much every day when I need something, whether it be a book, baby product, shampoo… I’m kind of addicted to having the exact item I want delivered to my door without dragging the kids around to various stores. But I digress.
I had a vague recollection of a Wee Sing album along those lines, and sure enough, there was Wee Sing America. I looked at some other options, but nothing seemed to compare. Since I didn’t want to wait for a CD, I just bought the mp3s, downloaded it, and we were listening on my iPod within minutes.
I’ve always liked the Wee Sing series, and this one was no exception. The songs are mostly sung by kids, so it appeals to my children, who readily join in to sing along. Two things about this collection stood out for me to make it stand out:
1. The quotes. Interspersed throughout the album are short quotes from various Presidents as well as important things like the Pledge of Allegiance, the preamble to the Constitution, etc. I LOVE this. I know some homeschools say the Pledge every day, but that’s just not our style (the formality, I mean; we’re all for patriotism). Still, I do think it’s important to know, and I want my children to be able to say it when the opportunity arises. So thumbs up! If I had been assembling a “Listening Lesson” the way I usually do each week, it would have looked a lot like this album. Only this time all the work was done for me!
2. The verses. So often we only hear the first verses of songs like “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” “Yankee Doodle,” or “God Bless America.” I was surprised (and very pleased) to discover that this album included multiple verses of most of the songs that have them. The lyrics of these later verses are often so rich in language and content, and even though it will be years before my kids can understand them all, I’m so glad they can learn the whole songs!
This is a great collection of patriotic songs, and if you’re looking for an easy way to teach your kids these American standards, I highly recommend Wee Sing America!
