Just Us Kids - August 28, 2018
Hello Friends!
Here is the repertoire from our workshop today. Hope you and your children enjoy these songs and strategies!
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.
- 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
- Repeat; everyone joins the chant
- 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
- 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. *To increase sense of leadership, use a leader chair, ie “Bear Chair” example.
- 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)
- 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.
SOMEONE’S IN THE MIDDLE
To the tune of “Shortnin’ Bread”
Someone’s in the middle, middle, middle
Someone’s in the middle, dancing like that
(Name) is in the middle, middle, middle
(Name) is in the middle, dancing like that
All sit in a circle. Start singing the song and choose someone to go in the middle and show their dance.
Extensions:
- All stand and imitate dancer’s moves
- Add props. Use song to give a direction for child to choose which prop (ID from a choice of animals, or large and small animal, or color animal). Ie: “Big Bear’s in the middle… “ or “Red Bear’s in the middle.”
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.