Problem is, we get stuck in ruts singing songs like “Wheels on the Bus” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” EVERY SINGLE DAY. Why? Because it is easier and more comfortable than going out and finding more songs to add to your repertoire.
Don’t get me wrong, repetition is key to learning so repeating songs over and over again is very important. Often times children will ask for the same songs over and over again and so it makes it easier. The songs become like an old friend, they know what to expect.
But, what about all of those other “just as engaging” and entertaining songs out there you’ve yet to teach them? There are so many amazing ones waiting patiently to be discovered. So, I’ve compiled a list of 10 Songs Every Preschool Teacher Should Know as a way to get you out of the rut. Most likely, you will know most of them and can easily work them into your repertoire pretty darn quickly.
What are we waiting for? Let’s get started!
1. My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
This classic song is super handy because it can be sung with a ton of energy – a perfect way to get the wiggles out. Or as a lullaby to put them to sleep or calm them down after too much movement.
For the calming approach, have children pretend to rock in their boat as they move their bodies back and fourth to the beat of the song. The slower you sing the song, the calmer kids will become. By rocking back and fourth, not only will you be keeping them physically engaged, they will also be able to feel the beat of the song in their body as they sing the words. This two-pronged approach is key to making learning stick.
For older children, add some serious movement by having everyone sit down or stand up on every word that starts with the sound “B”
Can’t remember the tune? No worries! Check out the video below courtesy of Hooplakidz.
I remember singing this song on many cars rides. It’s a great way to build memory because it is a cumulative song. A cumulative song is when a part of the prior verse is added to the next verse making the song longer and longer each time. This is great for our brains because it builds working memory, a key cognitive function children need to succeed both in academics and life. Click here to learn more about working memory and the brain.
Not only is this just a fun song, it works great as a piggy back song. You know, when you change the words to a song but keep the tune? It’s a great way to get kids to listen to your words because it catches them off guard as they tend to tune out spoken words more easily.
Oh yes, back to the song. Play with tempo on this tune once the kids learn it. Start slowly and get faster throughout the song. It adds a little sumtin’ to it and keeps the kids engaged. If you have a set of railroad spikes (I found them at an antique shop), try keeping the beat with them as you sing the song. Be sure to pass them around so everyone gets a chance to say they’ve held railroad spikes.
Check out the video for the tune courtesy of Muffin Songs.
It’s hard to be sad singing this song. The verses to it are endless which makes it a great one for those moments when you don’t know how long you have to wait in line to be dismissed out to recess or lunch.
Tune reminder? Click the video below from VinciGenius
I discovered this little gem one summer when I was putting together a campfire sing-a-long. It’s hilarious, action packed and sorry, but it will mostly likely make its appearance around 2:00 a.m. It’s one of those songs. Be sure to watch the video below to hear the tune and see the actions. I think it’s the best one out there.
It’s said that we know the most about dinosaurs when you are four years old, you have a degree in paleontology or when you have a 4 year old. So true!
This gem of a song is from a Seattle songwriter named Nancy Stewart. For those who live in the Northwest, you just might know her. She writes amazing songs that kids love! This song is a great example of her brilliance. Check out the song and her super awesome site by clicking here. Or watch the video below courtesy of King County Library Systems.
A classic song that’s easy to sing and super interactive. Sounds like the makings of a keeper I’d say! I love “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” because it forces even the teacher to be totally engaged. I know this because if I don’t focus on what I am singing, I won’t point to the right body part! That gets pretty funny for kids.
For a change up, after singing the song through once, take the word “head” out and think it instead of saying it. Then each time you sing the song again take at the next body part in addition to the last one and so on. This is a great way for children to practice inner hearing – the skill of hearing words, melodies, and sounds inside our heads without those sounds being externally present. “Inner Hearing” is important for children to be exposed to as they will need to call upon this skill when they are reading to themselves. Why not start teaching it now?!? Learn more about inner hearing by clicking here.
Ready for the tune? Watch the video below courtesy of Kids TV.
A camp favorite, this catchy tune is perfect for preschoolers who often spend time trying to impress their parents. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always end up being something parents are impressed by. Oh well, at least they are trying.
Check out the video below for the tune courtesy of the Kiboomers.
If you are uncomfortable being silly with little kids, you might be in the wrong business. Kids love silly and this song needs you to bring a lot of it. I start by telling the kids that I have put a piece of bubblegum in all of their pockets. I won’t tell you any more. Just check out the video below. This one is courtesy of your’s truly.
You made it to the end and your prize is a really fun goodbye song! I know because I have been singing this song for over a decade. Kids and teachers remember me for this song. You can even sing it as an echo song if you wish. It is a great way for children to work on call and response as well as language.
I couldn’t find a video for this song that uses the same tune I do, so instead, click here for the audio version by me!
Do you know the 5 great oceans on planet earth? If you can name 4 of them you are doing better than me. Adding a melody works wonders for retaining information such as this and will be just the ticket for recalling this information if ever on Jeopardy. Daniel Levitin of McGill University in Montreal, an expert in the neuroscience of music believes the combination of rhythm, rhyme, and melody provides reinforcing cues that make songs easier to remember than words alone. Before written languages was invented, our ancestors were tasked with remembering how to prepare foods or the way to get to a water source by turning the steps into a song. Modern humans have been around for some 200,000 years, but written language may have been invented only around 5,000 years ago, Levitin says. Using this teaching strategy passed down by our ancestors, you and your chid can learn the 5 great ocean on planet earth. By setting lyrics to the traditional tune, “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain”, learning these facts is a breeze!
*Note: This post contains an affiliate link. Feel free to use it to purchase the item I recommend in the post below.
With Earth Day just around the corner, there’s no better time to get your kids excited about composting!
It’s been said today’s children are tomorrow’s future so teaching them how they can keep our earth beautiful is an investment that will pay dividends.
Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals made for a perfect literary connection as we explored the topic of composting during our “Save the Planet” unit.
LET’S TALK COMPOSTING
But before we get to the book, let’s learn a bit more on the subject of composting so you will able to converse with your “stewards of the earth”.
Composting is nature’s way of recycling. It is the end product of the composting process which uses materials such as food waste, paper, grass and coffee grounds to create usable fertilizer.
This nutrient-rich “hummus” can then be added to your garden to fuel plant growth and restore vitality to depleted soil. Now that we’ve gotten that lesson out of the way, let’s get on with the show.
BACK TO THE BOOK
Before introducing the story, I asked the children if they’d ever heard of the word “compost”. At first everyone said no. But after explaining that they had a compost bin in their classroom where they put food scraps, we at last had a jumping off point to start the conversation.
I then went on to talk about what can be put in the compost bin. This discussion worked well since we’d talked the week prior about what to put in the recycle bin.
The first page of the story immediately offered up a chance to sing what would be our theme song throughout the story. Want to hear it? Just click the link below.
By adding a song throughout the story, the kids stayed engaged because they knew they had a part to play. Bringing a song into a read aloud really is magic and I LOVE to do it. Whenever a short song can be added to the telling of a story, do it! The chance that the listener will maintain attention as well as retain the experience is upped because more entry points have been provided into the activity with which they can engage and use to recall the learning at a later date.
Ask the children if they’ve ever heard the word “compost”. Read Compost Stew and sing the song below immediately after the words “compost stew”. At the end of the story tell them that you’ve been making some compost stew and you brought a little bit to show them. Pass the bag of soil around so each child gets a chance to touch it. As the children check out the bag, tell them all of the different items it is made from ie. banana peels, orange rinds etc. Ask them if they can see any of those items in the compost stew. Why not?
LYRICS
Compost stew, we’re makin’ compost stew.
What ‘cha gonna put in your compost stew?
Here’s a clue.
EXTENSION
Check out this great website with tons of extensions for Compost Stew created by the author. Click here!
You may be wondering, just what is a VOG? Well, I don’t know if it is really a word but it’s what I am calling my video blog. By creating a video of me doing activities from class, I hope they will become even more accessible. If you think so, or don’t think so (this will most likely be my sister), let me know in the comments section below. I love feedback because it is the only way I can improve. Ok, onto our highlighted activity of the week…..
This month in music our theme is “All About Me.” My Great Big World was how we introduced the theme. It’s a great song that helps little ones begin to understand this great big world in which they live. Through sign language and song, this dual modality approach makes for all learners to participate. If you would like to download the song for free, here you go!
Summer is in full swing and we hope that means you will find your way to a campfire at some point throughout the season. That is unless you live in a state with a “high” risk for fires like us here in Washington this summer. We’ve created a song book filled with 11 Campfire Songs Every Family Should Know to motivate singing with friends and family. Unfortunately, many children are not getting the exposure to these old classics as fewer and fewer families are singing together. We must keep this tradition alive as the benefits are huge! Did you know through song children learn rich vocabulary, sentence structure and rhyming? All of which are critical to learning how to read and write. So get out your guitar, piano or nothing at all and raise your voice in song.
All week my mind has been on recycling since that is our theme for the month here at Musically Minded.
I’ve been extra attentive to what is getting thrown in the garbage at our house versus what can be recycled or put in the compost bin. Clearly my family should be attending my music classes so they can learn this song because WAY more is getting thrown away and making its way to the dump than should be.
Seriously, do you realize everything that can be recycled or sent to the compost bin? The average American generates 4.4 pounds of trash per day, adding to the grand total of about 251 million tons of trash the United States accumulates per year. American communities recycled and composted nearly 35% of municipal solid waste in 2012, diverting 87 million tons to recovery according to the U.S. EPA.
So what does a music teacher do when they want children (and adults) to learn something new? I write a song!
My goal with “Boom, Boom, Ain’t it Great to Recycle” was to help my fellow Seattleites reduce their garbage and increase their recycling by teaching their children what can be recycled. This way they too could help in making our world a cleaner place. I’ve written a catchy tune that we’ve been singing all week.
The plan was to catch my students’ attention using the following brain research tip: make your hook tap into a memory the learner already possesses because previous experiences predict where the brain chooses to pay attention.
I pulled four items out of my bag starting of course with the Lucky Charms box. Immediately they were intrigued since they’d seen all of them at least once in their lifetime. Most were wanting that Lucky Charms box to be full. But no luck, my girls get this special treat on rare occasion and its contents did not last long.
If you haven’t yet, watch the video of me teaching the activity. Then try it with your littlest environmentalist! View the activity guide below or click here to print it.
Show the visual of what happens to items to items that get recycled (the recycle process image found in “what you need”)
Show children how to do sign language for “recycle”
Show the symbol that means recycle.
Show items that can and can’t be recycled. Refer to this site for specific items on what can and can’t be recycled. Be sure to check your state and city specifically as recycling differs depending on where you live.
Sing the song together patting legs on the first “boom” and clapping hands together on the second “boom”. Do the sign language for “recycle” on the word “recycle”.
During the third line of the song, point to each item as the type of material it is made from is sung in the song.
Chorus
Boom, Boom, ain’t it great to recycle?
Boom, Boom, ain’t it great to recycle?
Paper, plastic, glass and tin.
Boom, Boom, ain’t it great to recycle?
Extension Idea…
I love what “Keep America Beautiful” is doing with their recent marketing campaign showing some of the items created from items that have been recycled. It offered a perfect way to explaining the process of recycling and how a glass bottle tossed in the recycle bin can be turned into a new glass bottle or a glass lampshade rather than being dumped in the land fill.
All through December we are sharing the story of the Nutcracker in our music classes. It’s the second week in and parents are already telling us their children are coming home talking about what they are learning. Of course, many are sending their parents out for a nutcracker of their own. Wouldn’t you?
This week we have gotten to the point in the story where the Sugar Plum Fairy entertains Clara and her Prince by inviting subjects from her kingdom to perform.
Being able to modify this activity makes it ideal for everyone especially mixed age groups. Below is the activity guide with modifications for each age group. We’d love to hear how your child or class liked it!
MOVEMENT GAME: CHINESE DANCE FROM THE NUTCRACKER
WHAT THEY LEARN
Teamwork, listening to music, moving to music, high and low, auditory discrimination, problem solving, listening and responding to classical music
WHAT YOU NEED
Scarves for each child
Recording of song
Parachute
WHAT TO DO
Ask the children to show you with their hands “high” and “low”.
Tell them they will be listening to music with both “high” and “low” sounds.
When they hear “high” sounds, those will be played by flutes, ask them to put their hands up high when they hear the flutes play.
When they hear “low” sounds, those will be played by the strings, ask them to put their hands down low when they hear the strings play.
Turn on music and move hands as the music indicates. Play just about :20 of music.
Turn on music and move hands as the music indicates. Play just about :20 of music.
Take out a scarf and show moving the scarf “high” and “low”.
Pass out a scarf to each child.
Have them stand up and spread out.
Turn on music and move scarves as indicated. Be ready for both strings and flutes to play together.
Infants/Tods:
Turn on music and model moving hands “high” and “low”. Encourage them to join in if able. Play just a short excerpt of the song.
Pass out scarves to each child and turn on music.
Toddlers who are mobile can be encouraged to move around the room with the scarf.
For infants, gently bring the scarf down over them on the “low” sounds.
Place the infants under the parachute before starting the song – they’ll love all the colors!
EXTENSION:
On a following day use the same recording but use a parachute instead of scarves.
Explain how each child will need to find a loop and bring it up on “high” and down on “low” – just like the scarves.
This month we are learning all about the Nutcracker. We will be listening/dancing/creating as we immerse ourselves in Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet. This week we started reading the story and are using Susan Jeffer’s version. We chose her retelling because of it’s limited text which as we know keeps the attention of our listeners much better than too many words per page.
I ask the children to listen closely then turn on “March” having them guess whose music they think is playing first (Nutcracker and his soldiers). We then listen to the second section and they guess whose music this sounds like (the mice). The class is then split up with half being the mice and the other half being the solders. The children are only to move when their “music” plays. When the C and D sections plays I have the children freeze and wait till they hear their music again.
Below is the listening map we use later to provide a visual guide to each motif. You’ll notice that each motif is represented by 1 of 4 characters- the Nutcracker, the mouse king, Godfather Drosselmeyer, and a sugarplum fairy. Godfather Drosselmeyer and the sugarplum fairy are depicted as being larger because their motifs are longer in length. This is where we freeze when moving to the song. If you don’t want to make your own listening map, visit our Teachers Pay Teachers store for the listening map activity.
The Fourth of July holiday is said to be the official kick off to summer. In preparation, we have compiled a songbook filled with 10 Campfire Songs Your Kids Should Know. Growing up in a family where we sang all the time, I thought everyone sang around the campfire like us. As a teacher, I see so many kids who don’t know these traditional songs I know by heart. I realize it is my obligation to keep these songs alive and you can help! There are so many huge benefits to singing with your child. You can improve cognitive functions all while having fun which is the way learning should be. So print out the songbook and start making memories!
BENEFITS OF SINGING with FRIENDS AND FAMILY…
breaks down barriers
fosters creativity
young children acquire language
improves personal confidence
brings people together, literally
builds vocabulary (camphorated oil need I say more)
promotes greater physical fitness, well-being and natural health
creates a huge sense of personal and group achievement
My favorite time of year is summer. Playing in the water with my girls and exploring the ocean beaches is always a summer treat. Growing up in Montana, I didn’t get to visit the ocean often which meant seeing a starfish attached to a pier was something I had to wait 30 years for. My girls are growing up with an ocean just a few hours away and the Puget Sound even closer. Whether you are miles away or just across the street, “Down in the Deep Blue Sea” is a great way to introduce the cast members of the ocean to your little explorer.
