Inspired by Hip-Hop, MC Grammar Writes Awesome Educational Rap to Teach Kids

by #LizPublika

MC on the Turntables

So, you're a teacher with a classroom full of eight-year-olds, who'd rather eat a large plate of raw broccoli at record-setting speed than listen to you go on about the importance of reading for the next 20 minutes. What now? Well, if you're a creative person with a passion for music as well as teaching, you may follow in the footsteps of MC Grammar, a former teacher by the name of Jacob Mitchell who turned into an educational rap star.

Inspired by hip-hop culture, he started experimenting with simple songs and rhymes in his elementary school classroom in 2014. The goal was to help students get through a tricky test and the approach proved to be successful. "If a child can't learn the way we teach," he shares, "we should teach the way they learn." Soon, MC Grammar was blending books with beats to create hooks and melodies that resulted in catchy and informative songs.

Give "The Vowel Song" a listen. It's almost impossible to get the reggaeton-inspired tune out of your head, or prevent the lyrics about vowels and consonants from subconsciously implanting in your memory. This is one of many examples of the educational entertainment found on MC Grammar's YouTube channel, which has millions of views. But his subject matter is not limited to grammar lessons. He's also tackling history, geology, and more.

MC Grammar, who grew up in London and had a difficult time at school, considers music an invaluable teaching tool. When he retrained at college, he discovered that melodies helped him learn and began using music to remember facts. He started using it to revise and really fell in love with education again. When he became a teacher, he knew the power of music and wanted to utilize it.

In 2021, MC Grammar landed his own educational children's series called Wonder Raps. Each animated episode is five minutes long and features a different rap about a specific theme. Topics in the first season included volcanoes and how to save the planet, but there are many others. The show is a fun tool for teaching children about subjects that may be difficult for them to grasp. The visuals help drive the concepts home.

Much like Mitchell's own experiences with music, interactive content could be transformative for their education and future. Music gave him a world to escape to, and he loves what he's doing because he's reaching so many children and it could change their lives like it changed his. As for getting kids to read, MC Grammar was appointed as an Ambassador for World Book Day in 2021 and wrote the official song to inspire reading by rapping to an audience that would rather eat broccoli.