It’s November! Time to sing about turkey and more. Today, I feature a few songs that I’ve learned from my colleagues. The first is an all-time fave by my Chicago-based pal, “Miss Carole” Stephens. It’s a turkey dance that kids and teachers love. Some love it so much they ask … Continue reading
I had a chance to present my first music and literacy workshop for children’s librarians yesterday and it was a lot of fun! One thing we discussed was pairing books with songs. I love including books and references to books in my music & literacy sessions with young children. I’ve … Continue reading
The traditional song “Today is Monday” has become very popular, thanks in part to Eric Carle’s engaging book by the same name, which has a new food for each day of the week. You can help children learn initial consonant sounds by changing the song to name a food that … Continue reading
As our next governor, you could make Massachusetts a leader in early education, as we already are in other aspects of education. The problem is, it’s not going to be simple, or cheap. That might be why you’ve backed off giving universal Pre-K full support. This is a mistake. The … Continue reading
The song below is a perennial Halloween favorite for me, based one of my favorite oldies, “Rockin’ Robin.” When I sing it, I ask the audience to join in right away on several important lyrics. I tell them in advance: I’ll hold up one finger for people to say “Trick … Continue reading
I’m currently having fun singing songs that require children to guess a rhyming word at the end of a line, such as my version of “Hey, Dr. Knickerbocker” and Icky Sticky & Ooey Gooey. For Halloween, I suggest making as many scary-creature rhymes as possible in order to keep from … Continue reading
Around the time the leaves begin to fall here in New England, I start thinking about waltzing around the room with brightly-colored scarves. Dancing and singing with a 3/4 beat gives young listeners a distinct sense of a rhythm that differs from the 4/4 pattern. Songs in 3/4 and 6/8 … Continue reading
In a recent post, I discussed how finger plays make a body-mind connection and help children act out simple narratives with their hands. Finger plays are also simply great fun, and very engaging for young children. I love to add a prop such as a glove with faces on it, … Continue reading
It’s apple-picking season! New England’s many apple orchards are a favorite field trip for school and preschool groups, combined with units on healthy eating and making recipes for applesauce, apple pie and more. You can only pick and eat so many apples, so take some time to sing about them! … Continue reading
Why are finger plays great learning tools for young children? Finger plays make a body-mind connection. Most utilize music and rhythm, which helps build literacy. Most utilize rhymes, which help with phonological awareness. Many tell a story, and help children learn to organize their thoughts to tell a simple story/narrative … Continue reading
