PUMP UP TO 100 & GO LETTERS

Just give these songs a try and you'll be amazed how quickly the children learn when they sing, move, and have fun!

Pump Up to 100
Directions: Have children pretend to pick up weights and count.
1-20 - bicep curls (Elbows in, pretend to hold weights in fists with palms up as you bring forearms up and down.)
21-40 - for overhead press (Fists face forwards as you start at your shoulders and push the weights overhead.)
41-60 – side raises (Elbows at 90% angles as you raise them out to the side.)
61-80 – upright rows (Fists together close to the body and raise elbows out and up until fists are at your heart.)
81-100 – frontal raises - (Fists together and arms stiff as you raise them in front of your body to eye level.)

Click to view

Go Letters!
Directions: Children stand and cheer the letters and make the sounds.
Goooo A! /a/ /a/ /a/ (Roll arms and right fist in air as you make the sound.)
Goooo B! /b/ /b/ /b/ (Roll arms and left fist in the air with sound.)
Goooo C! ….Z

Adaptations: Make manual signs for letters as you cheer.

Click to view

MOVE IT! LEARN IT!

That's all folks, because this was my last recording. Mark Dye who did all of my wonderful arrangements retired and I'm out of songs. It's been a fun ride, and thanks to you for keeping these songs alive!


1. Move It and Get Fit!
2. Feeling Fine
3. Shake a Hand
4. My Flag
5. Be a Buddy
6. Twisting the Week
7. Month March
8. Gooo Letters!
9. Letters in My Hand
10. Letters You Should Know A-M
11. Letters You Should Know N-Z
12. Color Box
13. Opposite Cheer
14. Preposition March
15. We Like Books
16. This Is How You Learn to Read
17. Alphabet Remix
18. Karate Chop Skip Count
19. Pump Up to 100
20. Let’s Move!
21. Bubblegum Dance
22. Giddy Up
23. Steppin’ Up
24. Dancing in My Chair
25. Hawaiian Cross Crawl
26. Stretch and Breath
27. Bolero Balance
28. Toodaloo

I KNOW A SCIENTIST AND FEELING FINE

I Know a Scientist (Tune: “I Had a Little Turtle”) 

I know a scientist, (Hold up index finger.)
And you can be one, too! (Point with index finger.)
Here’s the scientific method
So you’ll know what to do.

First you find a question. (Hold up one finger.)
Just take a look around. (Pretend to look around.)
What is it that you want to know?
Now you write it down.

Next you make a guess— (Hold up two fingers.)
It’s called a hypothesis—
About what will happen
When you do your tests.

Now experiment, (Hold up three fingers)
Observe it, write it, too. (Hold up four fingers.)
You’ll need lots of data
To show your guess is true.

Draw your conclusions. (Hold up five fingers.)
Look into any doubts.
Then tell everybody
What you’ve found out!

https://bit.ly/IKnowscientist

Feeling Fine
I'm in right, (Hold up both index fingers and point to chest.)
Out right, (Point out with index fingers.)
Up right, (Reach up high.)
Down right, (Stoop down low.)
And I'm feeling fine. (Turn around in a circle.)
I eat the food that’s good (Pretend to feed self.)
And exercise like I should. (Run in place.)
That’s why I’m in right,
Out right,
Up right,
Down right,
And I’m feeling fine.
A little faster…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bm8lk7lvUg

GOING GREEN

I KNOW A SCIENTIST and all your students will be those scientists with these songs.


1. Feeling Fine
2. The Green Team
3. Turn It Off
4. What Will I Be When They Recycle Me?
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,
6. Litter Patrol
7. Eat Green
8. Endangered Species A-Z
9. Earth Day
10. I Know a Scientist
11. Water Cycle
12. Basic Needs
13. Habitat Homes
14. Eight Great Planets
15. Continents Together
16. Oceans Clean and Blue
17. My Aunt Came Back
18. The Presidents
19. This Land Is Your Land
20. Arms Are For Hugging
21. Arms Are For Hugging (Music Only)

CHAIR CAN CAN AND MY BONNIE BOUNCE

You can move and release wiggles in a confined space with these two songs.

Chair Can Can

Directions: Have children sit in their seat, bounce their feet to the beat, and make the following movements.

Bend right knee and then kick. (Right leg up and kick out.)
Bend left knee and kick. (Left leg up and kick out.)
Cross kick right and then cross kick left. (Kick feet in opposite directions.)
Rainbow arms from left to right. (Swish arms in a big arch.)
Bounce your feet up and down as you rainbow your arms.
Right heel up. (Put up right heel.)
Left heel up. (Put up left heel.)
Open and close arms like an elevator door. (Open arms out and together.)
Hands on the sides of your chair and lift and sit. (Lift body.)
Lift, hold, hold, sit. (Lift, hold for several seconds, and sit.)
Kick right leg out straight and the left leg out straight. (Kick straight leg.)
Wave arms high in the air. (Arms up and move back and forth.)
Take a bow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIOSRvmYp94


My Bonnie Bounce (Tune: “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean”)
We’re going to sing a song you all know called “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean” except every time we come to a word that starts with the /b/ sound we are going to stand up or sit down.
My Bonnie (Stand up.)
Lies over the ocean.
My Bonnie (Sit down.)
Lies over the sea.
My Bonnie (Stand up.)
Lies over the ocean.
Oh, bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
My Bonnie (Sit down.)
To me.
Bring (Stand up.)
Back (Sit down.)
Bring (Stand up.)
Back (Sit down.)
Oh, bring (Stand up.)
Back (Sit down.)
My Bonnie (Stand up.)
To me, to me.
Bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
Bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
Oh, bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
My Bonnie to me. (Sit down.)

A little faster…
Super fast…

Warning! One teacher said her kids loved it so much they kept begging to do it over and over. She said she could hardly walk up the stairs when she got home!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ONWTT-JFu8

BETTER BODIES

All I can say is I LOVE GUACAMOLE! Who would have thought that a silly camp song would turn into a YouTube hit with teenagers? I realize that they are making fun of me, but if I make them smile and give them a happy memory of their own childhoods then it's all good!




Besides THE BANANA DANCE, there are active learning songs for letters, math, and just plain FUN!

1. Time to Get Up (Vocal)
2. Time to Get Up (Instrumental)
3. Hello Friends! (Vocal)
4. Hello Friends! (Instrumental)
5. Morning Stretch (Vocal)
6. Morning Stretch (Instrumental)
7. ABC Kick Box (Vocal)
8. ABC Kick Box (Instrumental)
9. Letter Pops (Vocal)
10. Letter Pops (Instrumental)
11. Phonercise (Vocal)
12. Phonercise (Instrumental)
13. Cheering Letters (Vocal)
14. Cheering Letters (Instrumental)
15. Macarena Count to 100 (Vocal)
16. Macarena Count to 100 (Instrumental)
17. This Is the Way We Exercise (Vocal)
18. This Is the Way We Exercise (Instrumental)
19. Seven Days of Boot Camp (Vocal)
20. Seven Days of Boot Camp (Instrumental)
21. Sports Around the Year (Vocal)
22. Sports Around the Year (Instrumental)
23. Jump Up, Turn Around, Cross That Midline (Vocal)
24. Jump Up, Turn Around, Cross That Midline (Instrumental)
25. Hand Jive (Vocal)
26. Hand Jive (Instrumental)
27. I Am Slowly Going Crazy (Vocal)
28. I Am Slowly Going Crazy (Instrumental)

Disk Two

29. Chair Can Can (Vocal)
30. Chair Can Can (Instrumental)
31. My Bonnie Bounce (Vocal)
32. My Bonnie Bounce (Instrumental)
33. Wiggle Willy (Vocal)
34. Wiggle Willy (Instrumental)
35. Banana Dance (Vocal)
36. Banana Dance (Instrumental)
37. Kids on the March (Vocal)
38. Kids on the March (Instrumental)
39. Jump Rope Rally (Vocal)
40. Jump Rope Rally (Instrumental)
41. Zoo Movements (Vocal)
42. Zoo Movements (Instrumental)
43. Patty Cake Party (Vocal)
44. Patty Cake Party (Instrumental)
45. Line Dance (Vocal)
46. Line Dance (Instrumental)
47. Head, Muscles, Baby 1-2-3 (Vocal)
48. Head, Muscles, Baby 1-2-3 (Instrumental)
49. Balancing Act (Vocal)
50. Balancing Act (Instrumental)
51. Tighten and Relax (Vocal)
52. Tighten and Relax (Instrumental)
53. Tony Chestnut (Vocal)
54. Tony Chestnut (Instrumental)
55. It’s All Good! (Vocal)
56. It’s All Good! (Instrumental)

NUMBER MARCH & ADDITION POKEY

Number March (“The Ants Go Marching”)

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. (Hold up 1 finger.)
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. (Put fist in the air and cheer.)
They all were red and the first one said:
“You’d better catch up, I’m way ahead.”
And they all went marching one by one by one.

The spiders go crawling two by two hurrah, hurrah… (Crawl 2 fingers.)
They were side by side and the second one cried,
“I wish I had someone to give me a ride.”
And they all went crawling two by two by two.

The birds go flying three by three hurrah, hurrah… (Hold up 3 fingers and
Their feet were bare as they flew through the air and pretend to fly.)
The third one said, “I’d like shoes to wear.”
And they all went flying three by three by three.

The rabbits go hopping four by four hurrah, hurrah… (Pretend to hop 4 fingers.)
They hipped and hopped and bounced and bopped—
The fourth one got tired and down she plopped.
And they all went hopping four by four by four.

The horses go galloping five by five hurrah, hurrah… (Gallop 5 fingers
The fifth in line said “I feel fine; tapping them on your thigh.)
“I love to gallop all the time.”
And they all went galloping five by five by five.

The fish go swimming six by six hurrah, hurrah… (Pretend to swim 6 fingers.)
Their tails went swish and the sixth one wished
He wouldn’t end up as a tasty dish.
And they all went swimming six by six by six.

The mice go creeping seven by seven hurrah, hurrah… (Creep 7 fingers up the
The seventh was meek, he let out a squeak: front of your body.)
“I can’t see a thing; I’m afraid to peek!”
And they all went creeping seven by seven by seven.

The worms go wiggling eight by eight hurrah, hurrah…(Wiggle 8 fingers.)
The eighth one thought, “It’s awfully hot—
I’d like to rest in a shady spot.”
But they all kept wiggling eight by eight by eight.

The monkeys go swinging nine by nine hurrah, hurrah… (Swing 9 fingers.)
The ninth one called to one and all,
“I hope you’ll catch me if I fall!”
And they all went swinging nine by nine by nine.

The kids go walking ten by ten hurrah, hurrah… (Hold up 10 fingers and
The tenth one knew they were so cool, pretend to walk.)
‘Cause they were on their way to school.
And they all went walking ten by ten by ten.

Activities: Let children take different verses and illustrate them. Put their pictures together to make a class book.

Watch Video

Addition Pokey 

Put 1 finger in. (Hold up finger on right hand.)
Put 1 finger more. (Hold up 1 finger on left hand.)
Shake them altogether (Roll around.)
And then lay them on the floor. (Place on floor or table.)
Add them both together, (Bring hands together.)
And you don’t want to stall.
Now you have 2 in all.

2 fingers…3 fingers…4 fingers…5 fingers

*Do “Addition Pokey” with other facts.

Click to watch video

TOTALLY MATH

Make math ACTIVE and FUN with these songs and movements.


1. Math Is Fun!
2. Number March
3. Five Little Crabs
4. I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a One
5. Chant and Write
6. Sing and Spell
7. Five Little Monkeys
8. Kitty Cat – Position Scat
9. Spy a Shape
10. Shape-a-Loo
11. Days of the Week
12. Months of the Year
13. Clock Rock
14. Found a Penny
15. Everybody Do a Pattern With Me
16. Fraction Pizza
17. Numbers You Should Know
18. Country Countdown 1-20
19. Odd and Even Number Bop
20. Techno Count to 100
21. Skip Counting
22. Addition Pokey
23. Fact Families
24. Granny’s Arithmetic
25. Growing Up

COLOR WORDS AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY LETERS

Children can learn to recognize, read, and spell color words with this song.

Color Train
R – e – d - red
R – e – d - red.
Red bird, red head,Red heart, red bed
R – e- d - red.

B-l-u-e - Blue berries, blue eyesBlue bird, blue sky
Y-e-l-l-o-w - Yellow flowers, yellow sun,Lemon pie, bananas – yum!
G-r-e-e-n - Green grass, green grapes,Cucumbers, lizards, snakes
P-u-r-p-l-e - Purple balls, purple plumsPurple shirts, purple gum
O-r-a-n-g-e - Orange pumpkins, orange leavesOrange juice, orange trees
B –l-a-c-k - Black night, black catBlack panther, black hat
B-r-o-w-n - Brown cow, chocolate cake Brown leaves, brown rake
W-h-i-t-e - White cloud, white snowWhite rabbit, white bow
P-i-n-k - Pink ribbon, pink nose,Pink flamingo, pink rose.
T-a-n - Tan pants, tan shoesTan deer, and pancakes, too.
G-r-a-y - Gray clouds, gray house,Gray hair, gray mouse

*Make a book illustrating the different colors in the song.
*Have children hold up crayons or touch something of the appropriate color as you sing.of the *Teach children ASL signs for the colors.

Click for video

Word Puzzles
Materials: sentence strips, envelopes, markers

Directions: Write sight words on sentence strips. Cut between the letters to make a puzzle. Place the puzzle pieces in an envelope. Make a balloon the appropriate color on the front of the envelope. Children remove the letters and try to put them together to make the word.
Hint! Write the word on the back of the envelope so children can self-check.

Pull and Read
Materials: sentence strips, envelopes, markers

Directions: Write sight words on 10” sections of sentence strips with a black marker. Draw a small balloon the appropriate color at the right end of each word. Seal a letter size envelope and then trim off the left end. Insert the sight words in the envelope. Children pull out one letter at a time and try to blend the sounds and identify the color word. They can self-check with the balloon at the end.


Happy Birthday Letters

Yo, A, (Hands like a rapper and dance to the beat.)
It’s your birthday.
Let’s all read
Like your birthday.
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ (Circle hands around as you make the sound.)
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/
Yo, B…etc.

*Have children stand in a circle. When the letter that their name starts with comes up in the song they get in the middle of the circle and break dance.

*Make sign language letters as you sing.

*Cut out this birthday cake and add magnetic tape to the back. Place on a magnetic board and spread magnetic letters around the cake. Children take turns choosing a letter, putting it in the cake, and leading their friends in the song.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljNTdjZWVlZzR5Zmc/view?usp=sharing

TOTALLY READING

Standards will be a lot more fun with the songs on this recording. From phonics to phonological awareness to fluency to comprehension and vocabulary - let's get started!


1. Don’t You Just Love to Read?
2. Color Train
3. Deck the Room
4. Alphabet Antics

Phonemic Awareness
5. Nursery Rhyme Marathon
6. Rhythm Rhyme
7. Miss Mary Fill in the Blank
8. Pepperoni Pizza
9. Syllable Clap
10. Put Together Compounds
11. Word Families

Phonics
12. Happy Birthday Letters
13. Who Let the Letters Out? (Open version)
14. I Know an Old Man Who Swallowed a Letter
15. Letter Box
16. Letter Round-Up
17. Sweet Vowels
18. Slide and Blend
19. Diagraph Walk
20. The Tools of Good Readers

Fluency
21. Rapping Words
22. Lifetime Words
23. Punctuation Pays

Disc Two

Comprehension
1. Who? What? Where? When? Why?
2. It’s Fact and Fiction Time
3. Where Can You Go When You Need to Know?

Vocabulary
4. Parts of Speech Hoedown
5. Endings
6. We Can Do Opposites
7. Synonym Stomp,
8. O, Those Contractions

Writing
9. Ready to Write
10. Pencil Talk
11. Karate Writing
12. Writing Uppercase Letters
13. Rhyme to Write Lowercase Letters
14. Hi Ho Librario – Parts of a Book
15. Parts of a Letter
16. Good-Bye, Friends!

Instrumentals
17. Letter Round-Up
18. Deck the Room
19. Word Families
20. Pepperoni Pizza
21. Good-Bye Friends!
22. Nursery Rhyme Marathon
23. Synonym Stomp
24. Happy Birthday Letters
25. Rhythm Rhyme
26. We Can Do Opposites

I LIKE TO COME TO SCHOOL & SCHOOL CHEER

Teachers are “sales” people selling kids on learning and school. Here is a simple little song where you can insert the different activities to spark interest in the school day

I Like to Come to School (Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
I like to come to school.
I like to come to school.
I like to learn and play each day,
I like to come to school.

I like to read books…
I like to play with blocks…
I like to make new friends…

*Invite the children to name different activities they are looking forward to doing at school and sing them in the song.

*Make a class book where each child draws a picture and dictates a sentence about what they like about school. Let children "check out" the book and take it home to share with their families.

School Cheer (Take off on "Father Abraham")
It’s going to be a great year!
Let’s get started with a cheer!
This song is really cool.
Just fill in the name of your school.

(Name of school) School has many friends.
There are many friends at (name of school).
I am one of them,
And so are you.
So let’s all give a cheer.
Right arm. (Begin moving right arm up and down.)

Continue adding left arm…right foot…left foot…nod your head.
End by singing, “Turn around and sit down.”

HAPPY EVERYTHING!

EVERY DAY IS A HOLIDAY - 

OR IT SHOULD BE WHEN YOU TEACH CHILDREN!

Somebody once said that teaching kindergarten should be like giving a party every day! I totally agree because I collected songs celebrate every holiday and season over my career.

Note!! There are also "instrumentals" of many of the songs if you'd like to use them for a school program.

Fall
1. School Cheer
2. Super Star Chant
3. I Like to Come to School
4. Gray Squirrel
5. Scarecrow
6. Apple Tree
7. Grandparents Day
8. Columbus Day
9. Stirring Our Brew and 3 Little Witches
10. Halloween Medley
11. Five Days of Halloween
12. Veteran’s Day
13. Albuquerque Turkey
14. Over the River
15. Gobble! Gobble!
16. We Give Thanks

Winter
17. Jingle Bells
18. Jingle Bell Rock
19. SANTA
20. My Dreidel
21. Holiday Alphabet
22. Kwanzaa
23. Ring in the New Year
24. Seasonal Wandering
25. I’m a Little Snowman
26. Stand Up for Martin Luther King
27. 100 Days
28. Groundhog Day
29. Abraham Lincoln
30. Bringing Home a Valentine
31. Will You Be My Valentine?
32. Presidents’ Day

Spring
33. St. Patrick’s Day
34. Five Little Kites
35. Rain
36. Birdies
37. Caterpillar’s Story
38. Flip, Flop, Hop
39. The Planting Song
40. Popcorn Tree

Disc Two

Spring
1. Earth Day
2. Cinco de Mayo
3. A Box for Mommy

Summer
4. Take Me Out to The Ball Game
5. We Love Our Flag
6. He’s My Dad
7. Swimming
8. The Fourth of July
9. Going on a Picnic
10. Beep! Choo! Zoom! Honk!
11. School Days.

Instrumentals
12. Super Star Chant
13. I Like to Come to School
14. Grandparent’s Day
15. Columbus Day
16. Veteran’s Day
17. Over the River
18. We Give Thanks
19. Jingle Bells
20. SANTA
21. My Dreidel
22. Holiday Alphabet
23. Kwanzaa
24. Ring in the New Year
25. Stand Up for Martin Luther King
26. 100 Days
27. Groundhog Day
28. Abraham Lincoln
29. Bringing Home a Valentine
30. Will You Be My Valentine
31. President’s Day
32. St. Patrick’s Day!
33. Earth Day
34. Cinco de Mayo
35. A Box for Mommy
36. Take Me Out to The Ballgame
37. We Love Our Flag
38. He’s My Dad
39. The Fourth of July
40. School Days

EVERYBODY HAVE A SEAT AND WIGGLE THEM

Keep your classroom positive and the children engaged by singing directions.


Have a Seat (Tune: Shortnin' Bread)
Use this rhyme to get children seated and prepare them for a new activity.

Everybody have a seat, have a seat, have a seat.
Everybody have a seat on the floor.
Not on the ceiling,
Not on the door.
Everybody have a seat on the floor.

Everybody have a seat, have a seat, have a seat.
Everybody have a seat on your chair.
Not on the window,
Not in the air.
Everybody have a seat on your chair.


Criss Cross
Criss cross, (Sit on floor and cross legs.)
Be your own boss. (Fold your arms and nod head.)

Criss-Cross Applesauce
Cut the label off a can of applesauce and glue it to a piece of paper. Tape the paper to a stick and whenever you want the children to sit "criss-cross applesauce" hold up your sign. That's a good example of visual literacy because before children read words they read pictures.
*Thanks to my friend Pamela Pounds for this fantastic idea.



Wiggle Them
Use this finger play to release wiggles and calm children.

Wiggle them, wiggle them, wiggle them so. (Wiggle fingers.)
Wiggle them high. (Wiggle above your head.)
Wiggle them low. (Wiggle down low.)
Wiggle to the left. (Wiggle to your left.)
Wiggle to the right. (Wiggle to your right.)
Wiggle them, wiggle them, out of sight. (Put your hands behind your back.)

Snap them… (Snap fingers.)

Open and shut them… (Open and shut hands.)

Shake them… (Shake hands.)

Wave them… (Wave hands.)

ALL DAY LONG

The songs on this recording will keep your children singing "All Day Long!" There are circle time songs that will help children learn to spell the days of the week and months of the year, as well as tunes for special occasions like having a birthday or losing a tooth There are chants to line children up, clean up, and sit down, plus a hand washing song, "Lunch Time Round-Up," and "Backpack Boogie." Children will sing and learn with songs about using scissors, holding a pencil, coloring, and "Magic Words." You'll guide children with a smile, dance, and song through the transitions in your day.

Look at all these songs:
1. Rise and Shine
2. Happy Days
3. Month Hop
4. Weather Song
5. Surprise Sack
6. New Shoes
7. Welcome Back
8. Loose Tooth
9. Birthday Song
10. Line-Up Cadence
11. Dismissal Song
12. Have a Seat
13. Give Me a Clap
14. Wiggle Them
15. Tidy Up
16. Hi Ho Helpers
17. Scrub a Dub
18. Lunch Time Round-Up
19. Hush, Little Baby
20. Magic Words
21. Name on Your Paper
22. Pencil Grip
23. Scissors Snip
24. A Coloring We’ll Go
25. What Did You Learn Today?
26. Back Pack Boogie
27. Skinnamarinkydinkydink

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS & BINGO

Here's one of my favorite "oldies but goodies."

The Wheels on the Bus
The wheels on the bus (Move hands in circular motion.)
Go round and round,
Round and round, round and round.
The wheels on the bus
Go round and round,
All around the town.

Wipers – swish, swish, swish… (Palms up and move back and forth.)
Horn – beep, beep, beep… (Pretend to beep horn.)
Lights – blink, blink, blink… (Open and close fists.)
Doors – open and shut… (Palms together, then spread apart.)
Driver on the bus…”Move on back”… (Stick up thumb.)
Children on the bus – bounce up and down…(Bounce up and down.)

bit.ly/drjeanWheelsGoRound


The Letter Bus
The letters on the bus all make their sounds,
Make their sounds, make their sounds.
The letters on the bus all make their sounds
All around the town.
The A on the bus goes /a/ /a/ /a/
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/
The A on the bus goes /a/ /a/ /a/
All around the town.
*Continue singing different letters and making their sounds.

If you have a toy bus, write the letter on an index card and tape it to the bus as you sing.

BINGO
There was a farmer had a dog
And Bingo was his name-O.
B - I – N – G – O,
B – I – N – G – O.
B – I – N – G – O.
And Bingo was his name-O.

Each verse omit a letter and clap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHQMOSXK85U

Hint! Insert children's names and spell in the song.


Here's a "tell and draw" story about BINGO that your kids will love!

https://bit.ly/drjeanBingoStory

NURSERY RHYMES AND GOOD 'OL TIMES

We are so busy trying to give children what we didn't have 

that we are failing to give them what we did have! 

When my grandson completed kindergarten I asked him if he had ever played “The Farmer in the Dell.” He didn’t know what I was talking about! “The Farmer in the Dell,” “London Bridge,” “Mulberry Bush,” "The Wheels on the Bus" and so many other songs and games are part of what I refer to as our “early childhood heritage.” If children don’t experience these things in pre-K or kindergarten, then they’ll probably never get to do them! And that’s sooooo sad!

The crazier our world gets, the more we need to remember our roots and traditions.

Why?
Three of our leading educational theorists give insight into why these songs and games are so powerful in early childhood. Piaget observed that the more actively involved children are with people and things in their world, the more quickly they will assimilate new learning. Dewey emphasized that educational experiences are intricately interwoven with social experiences. Vygotsky also stressed the importance of social interaction to the child’s ability to construct meaning.

Get ready for some fun with these songs:

1. The Wheels on the Bus
2. Coming ‘Round the Mountain
3. I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
4. Old MacDonald
5. Bingo
6. Home on the Range
7. My Bonnie
8. Skip to My Lou
9. Farmer in the Dell
10. Mulberry Bush
11. Frog Went a Courting
12. Humpty Dumpty
13. Jack & Jill
14. Hickory Dickory Dock
15. Hey Diddle Diddle
16. Little Boy Blue
17. Muffin Man
18. Little Miss Muffett
19. Baa Baa Black Sheep
20. Jack Be Nimble
21. Little Jack Horner
22. Mary Had a Little Lamb
23. I’m a Little Teapot
24. London Bridge
25. Twinkle Twinkle
26. Itsy Bitsy Spider
27. Yankee Doodle
28. Three Little Kittens

PIZZA HUT & THE VOWEL FAMILY

It's just a silly song about food!

I have had complaints about this song because it is "commercial" and it "teaches children bad health habits." When I sing the song with children I use it as a “teachable moment” to talk about making good food choices. I say, “Boys and girls, this is a silly song, but I want to tell you the truth about fast food restaurants. It’s not good to eat that food all the time because it’s got a lot of fat, sodium, and chemicals in it. What are some good healthy foods that we can eat all the time?” 

You know, you could probably find something wrong with every book, every song, every story, every rhyme…. The bottom line is that if you don’t like a song or if a parent complains, you don't need to use it.

Silly songs are meant to make children smile. In the crazy world we live in sometimes you just have to shut your door and SING LOUD! 

Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut, (Arms out in a circle.)
Kentucky Fried Chicken (Flap arms like a chicken.)
And Pizza Hut.
Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut,
Kentucky Fried Chicken
And Pizza Hut.
MacDonald’s, MacDonald’s, (Hands together in front and then up and
Kentucky Fried Chicken over like an arch.)
And Pizza Hut.
MacDonald’s, MacDonald’s,
Kentucky Fried Chicken
And Pizza Hut.

Burger King and Taco Bell (Make crown with hands on “King,” and
shake head on “Bell.”)

Dairy Queen and Arby’s (Pretend to milk a cow on “Dairy Queen” and
twirl hand in the air like a lasso on “Arby’s”.)

Red Lobster and Wendy’s (Hands like pincers on “Lobster” and pretend
to make a hamburger patty for “Wendy’s.”)

More! For additional verses, let children suggest other restaurants and movements.

Click for video

The Vowel Family (Tune: "BINGO")
Aunt Aggie had an allergy
and she would always sneeze-o (Pretend to sneeze.)
/a/a/a/a/a/ /a/a/a/a/a/ /a/a/a/a/a/
And she would always sneeze-o.

Grandpa Eddie stayed in shape
and he would exercise-o (Pretend to lift weights.)
/e/e/e/e/e/ /e/e/e/e/e/ /e/e/e/e/e/
He liked to exercise-o.

Baby Izzi had chicken pox
and she would always itch-o. (Scratch body.)
/i/i/i/i/i/ /i/i/i/i/i/ /i/i/i/i/i/
And she would always itch-o.

Cousin Otto’s throat was sore
And this is what he’d say-o. (Put hand on throat.)
/o/o/o/o/o/ /o/o/o/o/o/ /o/o/o/o/o/
And this is what he’d say-o.

Uncle Unk wore underwear
and it did stink-o. (Hold nose.)
/u/u/u/u/u/ /u/u/u/u/u/ /u/u/u/u/u/
And it did stink-o.

Click for Video

Let the children use the attached sheet to make vowel puppets. Tape the letters to craft sticks or glue to an envelope that's been cut in half.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljRjhzN3oxNFliSEU/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-AlM6t9TxaRzZVHrT5RKhlg

JUST FOR FUN!

I had a friend that used to say: "We didn't come for a long time; we came for a GOOD time!" That should be one of the pillars when we work with children. We can't control many of the things in their lives, but we sure can give them a GOOD time at school!

At the end of the day, KIDS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN!!! You'll have fun singing and dancing with your children with the songs on this recording.

1. Kids Just Wanna Have Fun
2. We’re Great!
3. Alphabet Train
4. Letter Tales
5. The Vowel Family
6. Zero the Hero Number Stomp
7. Going Over the Sea
8. Dinosaur Boogie
9. Granny at the Fair
10. Miss Mary Mack
11. Yogi Bear
12. In the Woods There Was a Tree
13. A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea
14. Pizza Hut
15. Five Little Hotdogs
16. Read a Book
17. What a Wonderful World

ALPHABET IN MY MOUTH & SPELLING NUMBER WORDS

The Alphabet in My Mouth
(Tune: “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”)
I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth,
I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth.
I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth
and I can read!
I’ve got A - /a/ /a/ in my mouth
I’ve got B - /b/ /b/ in my mouth
I’ve got C - /c/ /c/ in my mouth
And I can read!
I’ve got D…Z
I’ve got all the sounds in my mouth and I’m ready to read!

Hint! Make sign language letters as you sing.

Your children will LOVE making this book to go with the song. First, take a close up digital photo of each child with their mouth wide open. Enlarge the picture and glue it to a sheet of paper. Next, cut letters out of construction paper and glue to the tongue on their picture. Write words for each page to go with the picture, such as “I’ve got D /d//d/ in my mouth.”

*If you don’t have 26 students, then use the principal, secretary, custodian, etc. to complete the letters in the alphabet.

Letter Baby

What fun for your kids to use "Letter Baby" to spin the wheel around and display the letters as they sing! Click to view video.

Download Letter Baby Here

SPELLING NUMBER WORDS
(Tune: “Farmer in the Dell”)
Z - e - r - o spells zero. (Hold up fist.)
Z - e - r - o spells zero.
Zero is our hero.
Z - e - r - o spells zero.

O – n – e spells one. (Hold up 1 finger.)
O – n – e spells one.
Spelling numbers is such fun.
O – n – e spells one.

T –w –o spells two. (Hold up 2 fingers.)
T –w –o spells two.
I can spell and so can you.
T – w – o spells two.

Three – It’s as easy as can be….

Four – I can spell even more…

Five – I can spell and I can jive…

Six – Number words are a trick…

Seven – We’re so hot we are sizzlin’…

Eight – We are smart. We spell great…

Nine – Spelling good and feeling fine…

Ten – You’ve spelled “ten” and that’s “The End”…

Click to view

*Make a class book where children illustrate the set for each number word.

*Give children flash cards of number words to hold up as you sing.

Say, Spell, Write, Read
Here’s a little formula to help children remember words.
1st Say the word.
2nd Orally spell the word.
3rd Write the word. (You could do this in the air or on your palm.)
4th Read over the word.

KISS YOUR BRAIN

As the academic push continued, so were requests where children could sing and master skills. It's much more fun to learn phonics, math, science, and social studies with a tune and movements. This CD starts with a friendship song and handshake and includes "Who Let the Letters Out?" "Spelling Number Words," "Five Senses," "Parts of a Flower," and "My World Family."

Take a look at the songs on this recording:

1. Kiss Your Brain
2. Twinkle Friends
3. Shake a Hand
4. Who Let the Letters Out?
5. Letter Aerobics
6. The Alphabet’s in My Mouth
7. Bitty Bi Bo Bu
8. Vowel Cheer
9. When You Come to a Word You Don’t Know
10. Singular and Plural
11. Verbs
12. Singing the World Wall
13. Spelling Numbers
14. Counting Cadence
15. Penny, Nickel, Dime
16. Insect’s Body
17. Macarena Bones
18. The Water Cycle
19. Litter Patrol
20. Five Senses
21. Parts of a Flower
22. Seasons
23. The World Family
24. We Had a Good Day

RULES RAP & ITSY BITSY SPIDER

Rules help children feel secure and know what behavior is expected of them. Here are a few simple rules that children can learn in a fun way.

Rules Rap

Chorus:
The rules, the rules, the rules of the classroom. (Snap fingers.)
The rules, the rules, the rules of the classroom.

Follow, follow, follow directions, (Point index fingers.)
Follow, follow, follow directions. Chorus

Feet and hands, feet and hands, (Point to feet and hands.)
Feet and hands to yourself. Chorus

Small voices inside, tall voices on the playground.
(Quiet voice, then loud voice.)
Small voices inside, tall voices on the playground. Chorus

Work together, don’t fight, or you’ll get in trouble.
(Clasp hands, then hold nose.)
Work together, don’t fight, or you’ll get in trouble. Chorus
YEAH!

Click here.

 

After teaching the class the “Rules Rap” discuss why rules are important. Say, “I know everyone in our class has a good rule to share with us.” Give each child a sheet of paper to draw a rule. Older students can write the rule and younger students can dictate the rule. Put their rules together, make a cover, and bind to make a book. Explain that when adults agree to do something they sign a contract. “Everyone made these rules. Are you all going to obey these rules? (Of course, they’ll agree!) Then I’m going to let you put your thumb on an ink pad and stamp your thumbprint on our book to show that you will abide by these rules.”

When children are doing something they shouldn’t be doing take the book and point to a page as you say, “Look, it says _______ in the book. Show me the right thing to do.” (Most of them can’t read anyway, so you can turn to any page in the book!)


The Itsy Bitsy Spider

The itsy bitsy spider (Fingers pretend to
Went up the water spout. climb up in front of you.)
Down came the rain (Wiggle fingers down.)
And washed the spider out. (Cross arms.)
Out came the sun (Make circle above head.)
And dried up all the rain.
And the itsy bitsy spider (Take fingers and climb
Went up the spout again. in front of you.)

The big, fat gorilla… (Sing this version in a loud voice
and make large, exaggerated movements.)

The teensy weensy ant… (Sing in a quiet voice and make very
small motions with your fingers.)

More Spider Versions (Sharon Howard)

After singing the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” let children change what kind of spider it is. It could be happy, mad, mean, angry, silly, pretty princess, etc. Then children decide how that spider would go up the waterspout.

Spider Puppet

You will need paper plates, construction paper, an old sock, markers, and a stapler to make this project. Decorate two plates to look like a spider’s body. Staple the plates together leaving an opening at the top and the bottom. Cut eight - 8” x 1” strips for the spider’s legs. Glue 4 legs on either side of the body. Draw a face on the sock and then stick it through the center of the plates.

          

*You can also make a simple puppet for children by tying a spider ring to a piece of string or yarn.

Spider Applause

Bend down thumbs and touch four fingertips from each hand. Tap gently!

IS EVERYBODY HAPPY?

I want you to know that what I've done in my professional career has never been about ME. It's always been for teachers and children. Please know how HAPPY and GRATEFUL I am for all of you that sing and have fun with me!!!!

You'll be able to sing, dance, and learn with the "Rules Rap," "Lettercise," "Vowel Song," and "Macarena Math."

Here are the songs you'll find:

1. If You’re Happy
2. Couch Potato Pokey
3. Button Factory
4. Nursery Rhyme Medley
5. The Itsy Bitsy Spider
6. Ride That Pony
7. Hand Dance
8. Rules Rap
9. Junior Birdmen
10. Money Song
11. Gummy Bears
12. Planet Poem
13. Lettercise
14. Vowel Song
15. Letter Dance
16. Compound Boogie
17. Seven Little Letters
18. The More We Get Together

COLOR FARM & ALPHARDY

This is a song your students will enjoy singing, but there are lots of standards “camouflaged” here. 

*This song reinforces the concept that when you put letters together you make a word.
*Children can learn to read the color words.

*More advanced children can learn to spell the color words.

The Color Farm
(Tune: “BINGO”)
There was a farmer had a cat
And Black was her name-o
B-L-A-C-K (Clap on each letter.)
B-L-A-C-K
B-L-A-C-K
And Black was her name-o.

Dog – BROWN
Cow – PURPLE
Horse – GREEN
Duck – ORANGE
Bird – BLUE
Chick – YELLOW
Pig – RED

Click to view

Activities:

Use the attached patterns to make stick puppets that the children can hold up as you sing.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljOFhmSUZiNzNXZVk/view?usp=sharing

Write the color word and put a picture clue by it on a sentence strip. Pass these out for the children to hold up as you sing.

The more senses you activate, the more likely the message will get to the brain and stay in the brain. This song can be used with younger children to introduce them to letters and sounds, but it's just as much fun as a review for older students.

Alphardy

A for apple /a/ /a/ /a/ (Pretend fist is an apple.)
B for bounce /b/ /b/ /b/ (Bounce a ball.)
C for cut /c/ /c/ /c/ (Open and close index and middle fingers as if cutting.)
D for dig /d/ /d/ /d/ (Pretend to dig.)
E – elbow (Point to elbow.)
F – fan (Fan self with hand.)
G – gallop (Gallop in place.)
H – hop (Hop on one foot.)
I – itch (Scratch self.)
J – jump (Jump up and down.)
K – kick (Little kicks with foot.)
L – love (Hug self.)
M – munch (Move mouth as if eating.)
N – nod (Nod head.)
O – opera (Extend arms and sing dramatically.)
Q – quiet (Index finger on lips.)
R. – run (Run in place.)
S – sew (Pretend to hold a needle and sew.)
T – talk (Open and close fingers like a mouth.)
U – upside (Lean over.)
V – volley (Hands in air and pretend to volley a ball.)
W – wiggle (Wiggle all over.)
X – x-ray (Make “x” with arms.)
Y – yawn (Extend arms and pretend to yawn.)
Z – zigzag (Make an imaginary “z” in the air.)
Letter sounds are all you need.
Put them together and you can read! (Hold palms together and open like a book.)

Click here for ASL

*You can download this book at drjean.org. Click here.

Alphardy Poster

Run off this chart for each student and glue to a file folder. Children can use this for choral singing or for independent work at the listening center. If you give them a pretzel stick or Bugle for a pointer they’ll get a little snack at the end of the song!

You can download the poster here