Sue Trainor: Home

Hey, Friends! Thanks so much for joining me in the conversation about developmentally appropriate songs and chants.  Here are the examples I gave during the workshop. Hope you were able to make some notes about your awesome compositions!

Song :                       AGOO AME

Source:                                     Traditional, from Ghana.  Collected from Kofi Dennis.

A few suggested objectives:        Steady beat, Call and response  - Taking turns, following routines

Large/small muscle movement and coordination, Auditory/Visual attention 

 

1.  Set-up:  Say, in beat:  I sing "Agoo" -- You sing "Amee"

               G   E                                                       G   E

2.  Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "a-me"

3. Repeat

4. Say: I go first, then you go

  Clap clap clap clap (children echo)

  Clap clap clap clap (children echo)

  Clap clap clap clap (children echo)

  hoo hoo woo hoo (children echo)

  hooo-ey! (Children echo)

 

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "ame"

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "ame"

Say: I go first, then you go:

  Shoulder shoulder shoulder shoulder (children echo)

  Shoulder shoulder shoulder shoulder (children echo)

  Shoulder shoulder shoulder shoulder (children echo)

  hoo hoo woo hoo (children echo)

  hooo-ey! (Children echo)

 

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "amee"

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "amee”

Say: I go first, then you go:

  Side side side side (children echo)

  Side side side side (children echo)

  Side side side side (children echo)

    hoo hoo woo hoo (children echo)

  hooo-ey! (Children echo)

 

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "amee"

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "amee”

Say: I go first, then you go:

  Clap clap clap clap (children echo)

  Shoulder shoulder shoulder shoulder (children echo)

  Side side side side (children echo)

  hoo hoo woo hoo (children echo)

  hooo-ey! (Children echo)

 

 

Extensions:

• Try other motions, such as stretch up (climbing motions), stretch down,

fly, hop, jump, twist, etc. Always include the “hoo hoo hoo” and “Hoooey!”

• Invite children to choose motions, from a list (visual or written) or from their imaginations.
• Invite children to lead motions, either selected by the teacher or motions they’ve chosen.

 

 

Song :                       GIVE ME THE BEAT

Source:                                     By Yvette Holt

A few suggested objectives:        Steady beat, Body part identification, Action words

 

 

1.     Set up: Leader taps knees in steady beat.  Everyone taps knees in steady beat.

1. Leader chants: 

Give me the beat, beat, beat

Give me the beat, beat, beat

Give me the beat, give me the beat

Give me the beat, beat, beat

 

1. Repeat; everyone joins the chant
2. Change motion to clapping hands. Everyone chants.

Clap your hands, hands, hands

Clap your hands, hands, hands

Clap your hands, clap your hands

Clap your hands, hands, hands

 

1. Change motion to tapping the head. Everyone chants.

Touch your head, head, head

Touch your head, head, head

Touch your head, touch your head

Touch your head, head, head

 

 

Extensions: 

• Use other parts of the body.
• Invite children to choose the next body part (from a set of pictures or from imagination).
• Invite children to lead verses, either teacher selected body part or choosing the body part themselves.
• Focus on action words: Clap, touch, tap, twist, jump, etc.

 

Song :                        Hello Toes  

Source:                                     Collected from Mary Gresock

 

 

A few suggested objectives:

                                    Singing Voice

                                    Matching Pitch

                                    Creative movement

                                    Identify Body parts, clothing, other things

 

 

 

1. Set up the starting pitch and beat with a cue phrase like “Let’s all sing”

 

2. Sing the song. Children will join as they learn it.

 

G  G   E       G   G    G    E

Hello toes, how do you do?  (tap toes)

 

G   G     E     A    A   G     E    C

I’m just fine and I’m dancing, too  (wiggle toes and sing in a character voice)

 

G    G     G    E

Ah doo doo doo  (make the toes dance and keep singing in character voice through the rest of the song)

 

G     G     E

Doo doo doo

 

G      G    E    A   A   G   E    C

Doo doo doo do-do doo doo doo

 

Model the first few times, then invite children to choose.

Hello knees…

Hello tummy….

Hello hands….

Hello tummy…..

Hello head….

 

Extension:

• Substitute clothing (Hello shoes, socks, pants, etc.)
• Greet puppets or animal props. How do they move?
• Substitute people’s names (Hello Lee… and Lee gets to answer and lead a dance motion.)

 

 

 Song :                      Bears Eat Fish

Source:                                     Sue Trainor, original

A few suggested objectives:        Singing voice, Matching Pitch, healthy eating, cognitive development, self-regulation, dramatic play, locomotor movement

 Role Play: The leader says: "Let's pretend to be bears!Will our bears be big or small? Big? Ok, let me see your big bear arms. (Comment on what individual children are doing.) Show me your big bear legs. (Comment on what children are doing.). My bear is hungry! How about yours?"

Melody: Within a few repetitions, children will join the singing of this song, so it’s important to sing in “head voice.”

Steady Beat: Because we’re pretending to be big bears, the speed of the song is moderate to slow, with heavy emphasis on each word: “Bears    eat     fish.”  (Note that there is a rest in the lyrics – there are 4 beats in each line, but only three words – tap the 4th beat in order to keep steady beat.) 

 

Sing:

E         D     C
Bears eat fish
E         D     C
Bears eat fish
      F       F   G   A  G
    When I am hungry
     E          E       F  G
     That's what I wish
E          D   C
Bears eat fish

Still pretending to be bears, children go out around the room to find fish-shaped props and bring them back.to the meeting area, while we sing:  “Bears catch fish….”

Children place their fish on a cookie sheet, which we pretend to put in the oven. Sing:  “Bears cook fish….”
 
 Make a "ding" sound like a kitchen timer and take the fish out of the "oven."  Each child takes a fish and pretends to eat. Sing:   “Bears eat fish….”
 Take off our pretend bear costumes and collect the fish props.

Recall details about our experience, such as Where did you catch the fish? What color fish did you catch? Did your bear like to eat the fish?

 

 

 

Song :    Can You Sit On Your Spot?

Source:  By Sue Trainor (based on “Did You Feed My Cow?”

                 popularized by Ella Jenkins

Objectives:          Steady Beat
                                    Call and response - impulse control, taking turns

                                    Awareness of one’s body in space; Self-Space

                                    Gross motor control

 

 

Procedure:

1.  Everyone is sitting on a designated spot. Leader calls; children respond.

Call: Can you sit on your spot ?   Response: Yes I can!

Call: Can you sit on your spot?   Response: Yes I can!

Call: What are you doing?            Response: Sitting on the spot

Call: What are you doing?            Response: Sitting on the spot

 

Call: Can you stretch on your spot ?   Response: Yes I can!  (stretch arms high)

Call: Can you stretch on your spot ?   Response: Yes I can!  (stretch arms high)

Call: What are you doing?          Response: Stretching on the spot

Call: What are you doing?          Response: Stretching on the spot

 

2. Try another sitting motion or two. If everyone is holding their spot, try standing.

Call: Can you stand on your spot ?   Response: Yes I can!  (etc.)

 

3.  Call: Can you jump on your spot?   Response: Yes I can!  (etc.)

 

4. Ask for children’s suggestions for movement and substitute those actions into the chant.

 

5. End with:  Call: “Can You Sit on Your Spot”   Response: Yes I can!  (etc.)

 

 

Slide Whistle 

Source:                                       Sue Trainor

Objectives:                            Aural discrimination (high and low)

                                                      Vocal range warm-up

                                                      Following directions

                                                      Awareness of one’s body in space

                                                      Large Motor coordination

 

 

Procedure:

1.  Leader demonstrates the slide whistle. 

 

2. Everyone pretends to play a slide whistle. Pretend to hold the whistle and imitate the sound of the slide whistle vocally. (Discuss why the slide whistle is an instrument we can’t share.)

 

3. Everyone imitates the sound of the slide whistle and shows the high and low movement with their hands  Play low to high pitch, until everyone makes the connection between the vocal and physical representations.

 

4.  Play high to low; everyone imitates the sound vocally and shows the movement of the sound with their hands.

 

5. Play a sound; ask children if it is low or high. Ask them to show you with their hands and SING the answer in their voices. Repeat, alternating high and low.

 

Extension:

 

1. Follow the sound with other parts of the body (not vocally). Elbows, head, feet, whole body, etc. Stop moving when the sound stops. Move quickly when the pitch changes quickly and slowly when the pitch changes slowly.

 

2. Children take turns leading with their pretend slide whistles and we follow high/low motions with designated body part.

 

 

 

 

What an exciting morning! You all rocked it! Honestly, that's a challenging workshop to start with, but you all clearly are using music and were all over the many ideas I shared with you.

Here is our repertoire - I think I got it all, but please let me know if I missed anything. 

Don't forget to check the Wolf Trap Website: education.wolftrap.org for much, much more!!

 

 

Song :                       AGOO AME

Source:                                     Traditional, from Ghana.  Collected from Kofi Dennis.

A few suggested objectives:        Steady beat, Call and response  - Taking turns, following routines

Large/small muscle movement and coordination, Auditory/Visual attention 

 

1.  Set-up:  Say, in beat:  I sing "Agoo" -- You sing "Amee"

               G   E                                                       G   E

2.  Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "a-me"

3. Repeat

4. Say: I go first, then you go

  Clap clap clap clap (children echo)

  Clap clap clap clap (children echo)

  Clap clap clap clap (children echo)

  hoo hoo woo hoo (children echo)

  hooo-ey! (Children echo)

 

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "ame"

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "ame"

Say: I go first, then you go:

  Shoulder shoulder shoulder shoulder (children echo)

  Shoulder shoulder shoulder shoulder (children echo)

  Shoulder shoulder shoulder shoulder (children echo)

  hoo hoo woo hoo (children echo)

  hooo-ey! (Children echo)

 

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "amee"

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "amee”

Say: I go first, then you go:

  Side side side side (children echo)

  Side side side side (children echo)

  Side side side side (children echo)

    hoo hoo woo hoo (children echo)

  hooo-ey! (Children echo)

 

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "amee"

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "amee”

Say: I go first, then you go:

  Clap clap clap clap (children echo)

  Shoulder shoulder shoulder shoulder (children echo)

  Side side side side (children echo)

  hoo hoo woo hoo (children echo)

  hooo-ey! (Children echo)

 

 

Extensions:

• Try other motions, such as stretch up (climbing motions), stretch down,

fly, hop, jump, twist, etc. Always include the “hoo hoo hoo” and “Hoooey!”

• Invite children to choose motions, from a list (visual or written) or from their imaginations.
• Invite children to lead motions, either selected by the teacher or motions they’ve chosen.

 

 

Song :                       GIVE ME THE BEAT

Source:                                     By Yvette Holt

A few suggested objectives:        Steady beat, Body part identification, Action words

 

 

1.     Set up: Leader taps knees in steady beat.  Everyone taps knees in steady beat.

1. Leader chants: 

Give me the beat, beat, beat

Give me the beat, beat, beat

Give me the beat, give me the beat

Give me the beat, beat, beat

 

1. Repeat; everyone joins the chant
2. Change motion to clapping hands. Everyone chants.

Clap your hands, hands, hands

Clap your hands, hands, hands

Clap your hands, clap your hands

Clap your hands, hands, hands

 

1. Change motion to tapping the head. Everyone chants.

Touch your head, head, head

Touch your head, head, head

Touch your head, touch your head

Touch your head, head, head

 

 

Extensions: 

• Use other parts of the body.
• Invite children to choose the next body part (from a set of pictures or from imagination).
• Invite children to lead verses, either teacher selected body part or choosing the body part themselves.
• Focus on action words: Clap, touch, tap, twist, jump, etc.

 

Song :                        Hello Toes  

Source:                                     Collected from Mary Gresock

 

 

A few suggested objectives:

                                    Singing Voice

                                    Matching Pitch

                                    Creative movement

                                    Identify Body parts, clothing, other things

 

 

 

1. Set up the starting pitch and beat with a cue phrase like “Let’s all sing”

 

2. Sing the song. Children will join as they learn it.

 

G  G   E       G   G    G    E

Hello toes, how do you do?  (tap toes)

 

G   G     E     A    A   G     E    C

I’m just fine and I’m dancing, too  (wiggle toes and sing in a character voice)

 

G    G     G    E

Ah doo doo doo  (make the toes dance and keep singing in character voice through the rest of the song)

 

G     G     E

Doo doo doo

 

G      G    E    A   A   G   E    C

Doo doo doo do-do doo doo doo

 

Model the first few times, then invite children to choose.

Hello knees…

Hello tummy….

Hello hands….

Hello tummy…..

Hello head….

 

Extension:

• Substitute clothing (Hello shoes, socks, pants, etc.)
• Greet puppets or animal props. How do they move?
• Substitute people’s names (Hello Lee… and Lee gets to answer and lead a dance motion.)

 

 

 

Song :    Can You Sit On Your Spot?

Source:  By Sue Trainor (based on “Did You Feed My Cow?”

                 popularized by Ella Jenkins

Objectives:          Steady Beat
                                    Call and response - impulse control, taking turns

                                    Awareness of one’s body in space; Self-Space

                                    Gross motor control

 

 

Procedure:

1.  Everyone is sitting on a designated spot. Leader calls; children respond.

Call: Can you sit on your spot ?   Response: Yes I can!

Call: Can you sit on your spot?   Response: Yes I can!

Call: What are you doing?            Response: Sitting on the spot

Call: What are you doing?            Response: Sitting on the spot

 

Call: Can you stretch on your spot ?   Response: Yes I can!  (stretch arms high)

Call: Can you stretch on your spot ?   Response: Yes I can!  (stretch arms high)

Call: What are you doing?          Response: Stretching on the spot

Call: What are you doing?          Response: Stretching on the spot

 

2. Try another sitting motion or two. If everyone is holding their spot, try standing.

Call: Can you stand on your spot ?   Response: Yes I can!  (etc.)

 

3.  Call: Can you jump on your spot?   Response: Yes I can!  (etc.)

 

4. Ask for children’s suggestions for movement and substitute those actions into the chant.

 

5. End with:  Call: “Can You Sit on Your Spot”   Response: Yes I can!  (etc.)

 

 

Slide Whistle 

Source:                                       Sue Trainor

Objectives:                            Aural discrimination (high and low)

                                                      Vocal range warm-up

                                                      Following directions

                                                      Awareness of one’s body in space

                                                      Large Motor coordination

 

 

Procedure:

1.  Leader demonstrates the slide whistle. 

 

2. Everyone pretends to play a slide whistle. Pretend to hold the whistle and imitate the sound of the slide whistle vocally. (Discuss why the slide whistle is an instrument we can’t share.)

 

3. Everyone imitates the sound of the slide whistle and shows the high and low movement with their hands  Play low to high pitch, until everyone makes the connection between the vocal and physical representations.

 

4.  Play high to low; everyone imitates the sound vocally and shows the movement of the sound with their hands.

 

5. Play a sound; ask children if it is low or high. Ask them to show you with their hands and SING the answer in their voices. Repeat, alternating high and low.

 

Extension:

 

1. Follow the sound with other parts of the body (not vocally). Elbows, head, feet, whole body, etc. Stop moving when the sound stops. Move quickly when the pitch changes quickly and slowly when the pitch changes slowly.

 

2. Children take turns leading with their pretend slide whistles and we follow high/low motions with designated body part.

 

 

Here’s What I Learned

 

Source:             Sue Trainor

Objectives:          Steady Beat

                                    Recall

                                    Describing events

 

Procedure:

1.  Leader chants, with motions:

 

Here’s what I learned (roll hands)

Oh yeah (point with right hand)

Here’s what I learned (roll hands)

Oh yeah (point with left hand)

Here’s what I learned (roll hands)

 In our lesson today (tap knees with both hands)

 

2. Repeat. Invite children to join motions and the chant.

 

3. Invite children to recall what was done in the lesson.

 

Optional: A visual representation of each major segment and a quick review by the leader may be helpful.

 

WHO’S A GOOD WATCHER?

  Collected from Mary Gresock

Use steady beat. Presenter models a motion, changes to a new motion on “oops!”

 

Who’s a good watcher,  watcher, watcher?

Who’s a good watcher?

 Show me now!

Ooops!

Extension: On oops, “pass” the lead to a new person.

  Collected from Mary Gresock

Use steady beat. Presenter models a motion, changes to a new motion on “oops!”

 

Who’s a good watcher,  watcher, watcher?

Who’s a good watcher?

 Show me now!

Ooops!

Extension: On oops, “pass” the lead to a new person.

 

 

PRECIPITATION SONG

- Sue Trainor

 

         Chorus:

c         c     c      D#            c

Pre-ci-pi-taaaaaa – tion

c         c     c      D#             c

Pre-ci-pi-taaaaaa - tion

 

                  Verse:

 

C            F            F    F          C          D#        D    C

Sometimes it rains, sometimes it snows

C                        D         D      D         C         C       D#            D       C

Sometimes ice falls from the clouds, you know

C           F         F           F         C       D#        D         C

We need that rain, we need that snow

C      D           D     E     E      F             G

It helps all living things grow!

 

         Chorus:

c         c     c      D#            c

Pre-ci-pi-taaaaaa – tion

c         c     c      D#             c

Pre-ci-pi-taaaaaa - tion

 

Movements:

 

Chorus

On the offbeat (1  2  3 4) Pat knees, or snap if children are able.

 

Verse

Sometimes it rains:  With fingers, make downward motion for rain

Sometimes it snows: With fingers, make downward motion, but side to side

Sometimes ice falls… : Start with fists, then burst fingers open. Repeat this movement added to the downward side to side  motion (or make your own!).

We need: Repeat rain and snow gestures.

It helps all living things grow:  Fingers pointed upwards,  gesture motion is from low to high.

 

 

It’s Time to WAVE Goodbye

-Sue Trainor

 

C     D       E   F      A        E

It’s time to WAVE goodbye

 

C     D       E   F      A        E

It’s time to WAVE goodbye

 

C     D       E   F      A        E

It’s time to WAVE goodbye

 

A      G

My friends

 

C     D      Eb       E       G   E

So raise your hand up high

 

C       D   Eb   E        F            G   

Give us an   air     high       five   (high FIVE!)

 

G      G   G   A    A      A   G  F       C    Eb Eb

And I will see you all again

 

 

C    Eb Eb

(tomorrow)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, Kipp Friends!

Here is the repertoire for our 7/25 workshop. Remember to visit education.wolftrap.org for arts integrated videos and lesson plans in music as well as dance, drama and puppetry!

Song :                       AGOO AME

Source:                                     Traditional, from Ghana.  Collected from Kofi Dennis.

A few suggested objectives:        Steady beat, Call and response  - Taking turns, following routines

Large/small muscle movement and coordination, Auditory/Visual attention 

 

1.  Set-up:  Say, in beat:  I sing "Agoo" -- You sing "Amee"

               G   E                                                       G   E

2.  Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "a-me"

3. Repeat

4. Say: I go first, then you go

  Clap clap clap clap (children echo)

  Clap clap clap clap (children echo)

  Clap clap clap clap (children echo)

  hoo hoo woo hoo (children echo)

  hooo-ey! (Children echo)

 

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "ame"

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "ame"

Say: I go first, then you go:

  Shoulder shoulder shoulder shoulder (children echo)

  Shoulder shoulder shoulder shoulder (children echo)

  Shoulder shoulder shoulder shoulder (children echo)

  hoo hoo woo hoo (children echo)

  hooo-ey! (Children echo)

 

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "amee"

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "amee”

Say: I go first, then you go:

  Side side side side (children echo)

  Side side side side (children echo)

  Side side side side (children echo)

    hoo hoo woo hoo (children echo)

  hooo-ey! (Children echo)

 

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "amee"

Sing "Agoo" -- children respond "amee”

Say: I go first, then you go:

  Clap clap clap clap (children echo)

  Shoulder shoulder shoulder shoulder (children echo)

  Side side side side (children echo)

  hoo hoo woo hoo (children echo)

  hooo-ey! (Children echo)

 

 

Extensions:

• Try other motions, such as stretch up (climbing motions), stretch down,

fly, hop, jump, twist, etc. Always include the “hoo hoo hoo” and “Hoooey!”

• Invite children to choose motions, from a list (visual or written) or from their imaginations.
• Invite children to lead motions, either selected by the teacher or motions they’ve chosen.

 

 

Song :                       GIVE ME THE BEAT

Source:                                     By Yvette Holt

A few suggested objectives:        Steady beat, Body part identification, Action words

 

 

1.     Set up: Leader taps knees in steady beat.  Everyone taps knees in steady beat.

1. Leader chants: 

Give me the beat, beat, beat

Give me the beat, beat, beat

Give me the beat, give me the beat

Give me the beat, beat, beat

 

1. Repeat; everyone joins the chant
2. Change motion to clapping hands. Everyone chants.

Clap your hands, hands, hands

Clap your hands, hands, hands

Clap your hands, clap your hands

Clap your hands, hands, hands

 

1. Change motion to tapping the head. Everyone chants.

Touch your head, head, head

Touch your head, head, head

Touch your head, touch your head

Touch your head, head, head

 

 

Extensions: 

• Use other parts of the body.
• Invite children to choose the next body part (from a set of pictures or from imagination).
• Invite children to lead verses, either teacher selected body part or choosing the body part themselves.
• Focus on action words: Clap, touch, tap, twist, jump, etc.

 

Song :                        Hello Toes  

Source:                                     Collected from Mary Gresock

 

 

A few suggested objectives:

                                    Singing Voice

                                    Matching Pitch

                                    Creative movement

                                    Identify Body parts, clothing, other things

 

 

 

1. Set up the starting pitch and beat with a cue phrase like “Let’s all sing”

 

2. Sing the song. Children will join as they learn it.

 

G  G   E       G   G    G    E

Hello toes, how do you do?  (tap toes)

 

G   G     E     A    A   G     E    C

I’m just fine and I’m dancing, too  (wiggle toes and sing in a character voice)

 

G    G     G    E

Ah doo doo doo  (make the toes dance and keep singing in character voice through the rest of the song)

 

G     G     E

Doo doo doo

 

G      G    E    A   A   G   E    C

Doo doo doo do-do doo doo doo

 

Model the first few times, then invite children to choose.

Hello knees…

Hello tummy….

Hello hands….

Hello tummy…..

Hello head….

 

Extension:

• Substitute clothing (Hello shoes, socks, pants, etc.)
• Greet puppets or animal props. How do they move?
• Substitute people’s names (Hello Lee… and Lee gets to answer and lead a dance motion.)

 

 

 Song :                      Bears Eat Fish

Source:                                     Sue Trainor, original

A few suggested objectives:        Singing voice, Matching Pitch, healthy eating, cognitive development, self-regulation, dramatic play, locomotor movement

 Role Play: The leader says: "Let's pretend to be bears!Will our bears be big or small? Big? Ok, let me see your big bear arms. (Comment on what individual children are doing.) Show me your big bear legs. (Comment on what children are doing.). My bear is hungry! How about yours?"

Melody: Within a few repetitions, children will join the singing of this song, so it’s important to sing in “head voice.”

Steady Beat: Because we’re pretending to be big bears, the speed of the song is moderate to slow, with heavy emphasis on each word: “Bears    eat     fish.”  (Note that there is a rest in the lyrics – there are 4 beats in each line, but only three words – tap the 4th beat in order to keep steady beat.) 

 

Sing:

E         D     C
Bears eat fish
E         D     C
Bears eat fish
      F       F   G   A  G
    When I am hungry
     E          E       F  G
     That's what I wish
E          D   C
Bears eat fish

Still pretending to be bears, children go out around the room to find fish-shaped props and bring them back.to the meeting area, while we sing:  “Bears catch fish….”

Children place their fish on a cookie sheet, which we pretend to put in the oven. Sing:  “Bears cook fish….”
 
 Make a "ding" sound like a kitchen timer and take the fish out of the "oven."  Each child takes a fish and pretends to eat. Sing:   “Bears eat fish….”
 Take off our pretend bear costumes and collect the fish props.

Recall details about our experience, such as Where did you catch the fish? What color fish did you catch? Did your bear like to eat the fish?

 

 

Song :                        Awa Atu

Source:                                     Traditional, from Ghana. Collected from Kofi Dennis.

A few suggested objectives:        Singing voice, Matching pitch,  Expressing feelings, Managing transition (closing)

 

1. Explain the words and motions:

“Awa” means “I’m happy we are together.”  Hold arms open and wide, and wave them up and down as though you are happy to see your friends.

“Atu” means “hug.”  Fold arms across your chest, hugging yourself.

 

2. Set-up: Sing a cue phrase in order to give children the starting pitch and beat. “Let’s all sing.”

 

3. Everyone sings the song and does the motions together.

 

D –G D-G D-G

Awa Awa Awa

A-B A-B A-B

Atu Atu Atu

B-c-A…….

Awa

A-B-G…..

Atu

 

4. Repeat, perhaps several times.

Extensions:

• Begin in a circle so that everyone is facing. Make eye contact.
• Begin in two circles, one circle faces in. The second circle of people is inside facing people in the outer circle. Rotate the inner circle with each repetition. If appropriate, people may hug each other.

 

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

Song Adaptations by Sue Trainor

To the tune of "Jingle Bells:"

 

Chorus:

Caterpillar, caterpillar

Hungry all the time

Eat and grow and eat and grow

Until it’s chrysalis time

Verse:

Monday he ate a ____

Tuesday he ate two ____

Wednesday day he ate three _____

And he was feeling great

Thursday he ate four ____

Friday he ate five _____

Saturday he ate _____

And got a tummyache!

 

 

To the tune of “Green Grass Grows All Around”

Song adaptation by Sue Trainor

 

In the garden there was a leaf

The prettiest leaf that you ever did see

Leaf in the garden and

The life cycle goes around and around

The life cycle goes around.

 

And on that leaf there was an egg

The prettiest egg that you ever did see

Egg on the leaf and the leaf in the garden and

The life cycle goes around and around

The life cycle goes around.

 

And in that egg there was a caterpillar

The prettiest caterpillar that you ever did see

Caterpillar in the egg and the

Egg on the leaf and the

Leaf in the garden and

The life cycle goes around and around

The life cycle goes around.

 

And on that caterpillar, there is a chrysalis

The prettiest chrysalis that you ever did see

Chrysalis on the caterpillar and the

Caterpillar in the egg and the

Egg on the leaf and the

Leaf in the garden and

The life cycle goes around and around

The life cycle goes around.

 

And in the crysallis there is a butterfly

The prettiest butterfly that you ever did see

Butterfly in the chrysalis

Chrysalis on the caterpillar and the

Caterpillar in the egg and the

Egg on the leaf and the

Leaf in the garden and

The life cycle goes around and around

The life cycle goes around.

 

And in that butterfly there is an egg

The prettiest egg that you ever did see

Egg in the butterfly and the

Butterfly in the chrysalis

Chrysalis on the caterpillar and the

Caterpillar in the egg and the

Egg on the leaf and the

Leaf in the garden and

The life cycle goes around and around

The life cycle goes around.

 

 

LITTLE FROGS

 by Sue Trainor

 

Objectives:          Moving to music

                                     Identifying on, under

                                     Awareness of one’s body in space

                                    Extended vigorous exericse

 

 

Procedure:

1. Spread a green cloth on the floor to represent the lily pad. One by one, take little frogs out of a bag and hop them on to the lily pad, one for each child and adult. 

2. Set-up the song with a phrase to cue the starting note and the beat, such as “Let’s all sing!”

3.

 C  C    E        C       D        G     F   E D  C

Little green frogs jump ON the lily pad,

G     F   E D  C       D     D      G

ON the lily pad, see them jump!

C   C    E         C       D        G     F  E D  C

Little green frogs jump ON the lily pad

G      G       G G    G       G F    D        C

See those little frogs, little frogs jump!

 

4.   Spoken: UH OH! Here comes a big bird looking for a green frog for his supper! (Someone can pretend to be the big bird, flying with arms outstretched.)  Hide, Little Frogs, Hide!

 

5.  Everyone takes their little green frogs and hides them under the cloth.

Sing quietly:

Little green frogs hide UNDER the lily pad,

UNDER the lily pad, see them hide!

Little green frogs hide UNDER the lily pad

See those little frogs, little frogs hide!

 

6. Spoken: That big old bird doesn't see any frogs, so he flies away. Come out little frogs, come out!

Repeat singing the first verse.

 

7. Now WE become the frogs. Repeat the entire sequence.

 

 

 

Song :    Can You Sit On Your Spot?

Source:  By Sue Trainor (based on “Did You Feed My Cow?”

                 popularized by Ella Jenkins

Objectives:          Steady Beat
                                    Call and response - impulse control, taking turns

                                    Awareness of one’s body in space; Self-Space

                                    Gross motor control

 

 

Procedure:

1.  Everyone is sitting on a designated spot. Leader calls; children respond.

Call: Can you sit on your spot ?   Response: Yes I can!

Call: Can you sit on your spot?   Response: Yes I can!

Call: What are you doing?            Response: Sitting on the spot

Call: What are you doing?            Response: Sitting on the spot

 

Call: Can you stretch on your spot ?   Response: Yes I can!  (stretch arms high)

Call: Can you stretch on your spot ?   Response: Yes I can!  (stretch arms high)

Call: What are you doing?          Response: Stretching on the spot

Call: What are you doing?          Response: Stretching on the spot

 

2. Try another sitting motion or two. If everyone is holding their spot, try standing.

Call: Can you stand on your spot ?   Response: Yes I can!  (etc.)

 

3.  Call: Can you jump on your spot?   Response: Yes I can!  (etc.)

 

4. Ask for children’s suggestions for movement and substitute those actions into the chant.

 

5. End with:  Call: “Can You Sit on Your Spot”   Response: Yes I can!  (etc.)

 

 

Slide Whistle 

Source:                                       Sue Trainor

Objectives:                            Aural discrimination (high and low)

                                                      Vocal range warm-up

                                                      Following directions

                                                      Awareness of one’s body in space

                                                      Large Motor coordination

 

 

Procedure:

1.  Leader demonstrates the slide whistle. 

 

2. Everyone pretends to play a slide whistle. Pretend to hold the whistle and imitate the sound of the slide whistle vocally. (Discuss why the slide whistle is an instrument we can’t share.)

 

3. Everyone imitates the sound of the slide whistle and shows the high and low movement with their hands  Play low to high pitch, until everyone makes the connection between the vocal and physical representations.

 

4.  Play high to low; everyone imitates the sound vocally and shows the movement of the sound with their hands.

 

5. Play a sound; ask children if it is low or high. Ask them to show you with their hands and SING the answer in their voices. Repeat, alternating high and low.

 

Extension:

 

1. Follow the sound with other parts of the body (not vocally). Elbows, head, feet, whole body, etc. Stop moving when the sound stops. Move quickly when the pitch changes quickly and slowly when the pitch changes slowly.

 

2. Children take turns leading with their pretend slide whistles and we follow high/low motions with designated body part.

 

 

Here’s What I Learned

 

Source:             Sue Trainor

Objectives:          Steady Beat

                                    Recall

                                    Describing events

 

Procedure:

1.  Leader chants, with motions:

 

Here’s what I learned (roll hands)

Oh yeah (point with right hand)

Here’s what I learned (roll hands)

Oh yeah (point with left hand)

Here’s what I learned (roll hands)

 In our lesson today (tap knees with both hands)

 

2. Repeat. Invite children to join motions and the chant.

 

3. Invite children to recall what was done in the lesson.

 

Optional: A visual representation of each major segment and a quick review by the leader may be helpful.