KATALINA MATALINA

I met "Katalina Matalina" over 70 years ago when I was a Brownie. It's a silly song that the kids love, but there is also a timeless lesson with her heart of gold.

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Katalina Matalina

Chorus: Katalina Matalina Upsadina Walkadina
Hoca Poca Loca was her name.

Her head was shaped like a baseball bat. (Point to head.)
And right on top was a funny, old hat. (Chorus)

She had two hairs in her head. (Point to hair.)
One was alive and the other was dead. (Chorus)

She had two eyes in her head. (Point to eyes.)
One was purple and the other was red. (Chorus)

She had two teeth in her mouth. (Point to mouth.)
One pointed north and the other pointed south. (Chorus)

Her neck was as long as a ten foot pole. (Point to neck.)
And right in the middle was a big, black bow. (Chorus)

Her hips were like two ships in port. (Wiggle hips.)
One headed south and the other headed north. (Chorus)

Her feet were as flat as a bathroom mat. (Point to feet.)
How did they ever get like that? (Chorus)

But she had a heart, so I’m told. (Put hands over heart.)
That was made of purest gold. (Chorus)

Here's a link with patterns so you can make your own Katalina:

Click to download

Syllables
Clap out the syllables in Katalina’s name. Clap out the syllables in the children’s names in your classroom. Count how many claps in each person’s name. Compare and graph.

Rhymes
Can they identify the words that rhyme in the song?

Comprehension
Have children close their eyes as you sing the song and create a picture of Katalina in their heads. Give each child a sheet of paper to draw her interpretation of Katalina. Display on a bulletin board or make a class book.

Diversity
Talk about what it means to have a heart of gold. Cut out 4 hearts and decorate with gold glitter. Punch holes in the hearts and tie on string to make necklaces. Each day when you see a child being a kind friend, let them wear Katalaina Matalina's heart of gold.

ACTIVE LEARNING PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS

Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize sounds in oral language (rhyme, alliteration, syllables, etc.). Tie movement in with oral and aural activities to engage the body and brain.

RHYME

Handy Rhymes
Have children extend their arms as they say pairs of words that rhyme. For example: sun (extend right hand) - fun (extend left hand). As they progress, the teacher says a word (extend right hand) and then children say a word that rhymes (extend left hand).

Rhyming Song
Do this activity to the tune of “Skip to My Lou.”
Cat (hold out right hand)
Hat (hold out left hand)
Those words rhyme.
Cat (hold out right hand)
Hat (hold out left hand)
Those words rhyme.
Cat (hold out right hand)
Hat (hold out left hand)
Those words rhyme.
They all end with “at.” (Roll hands around as you say this.)

Rhyme Ball
You will need a ball, beanbag, or other object to toss for this game. Children sit or stand in a circle. The teacher says a word and then tosses the ball to a child. As the child catches the ball, she must say a word that rhymes.

Rhyme Detectives
Tell the children that they will get to be detectives andlisten for words that rhyme. You say a word, and they put their pinkies up if they hear a word that rhymes with it. Pinkies down if it doesn’t rhyme.
For example: Cat - hat (pinkies up), run - dog (pinkies down).




SYLLABICATION

Mouth It!
Have children gently place their palm under their chin and ask them repeat to words. Surprise! The mouth opens on each syllable (all syllables have vowels and the mouth opens).

Move It!
Clap, hop, walk, or nod the syllables in classroom objects.
*Disco, hula, swim, or march to syllables in rhymes and songs.
“Beep” like aliens or “Wa wa” like Charlie Brown’s teacher as you say words or read.

Instruments
Have children beat out syllables with instruments.

*You could also use cardboard rollers, straws, pencils, etc. like drum sticks to tap out rhythms and syllables.

Syllable Show
Slowly say a word. Children hold up the number of syllables they hear on their fingers.

*You could also let them show the number of syllables by placing the appropriate number of poker chips or other objects on their desk.



BLENDING

Body Touch
Blend words touching parts of the body. Touch the head as you say the beginning sound in the word. Touch the stomach as you say the middle sound. Touch the feet as you say the final sound. Quickly move from head to feet and blend the sounds.

*You can also use the body to isolate sounds. For example:

Where do you hear the /s/ in bus? (Children touch feet.)


Finger Tap
Bend in your fingers and extend your thumb. Going from left tap a finger for each sound with your thumb. For example:

/j/ /e/ /t/. Run your thumb over your fingers as you blend the sounds and say the word.

RHYME ON WITH HUMPTY DUMPTY

http://bit.ly/drjean_humpty

Here's the new verse for the end of the rhyme:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
So the good children got out some tape and some glue
And they fiddled and faddled until he looked like new.
Then they carefully placed him back on the wall
And said, "Humpty Dumpty, please don't fall!"

*Let children make their own Humpty Dumpty puzzle from an oval that they have decorated. Can they glue him back together?

Rhyme On
Challenge children to fill in the word that rhymes in these additional verses.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a peg.
Humpty Dumpty fell on his leg.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a bed.
Humpty Dumpty fell on his head.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a rose.
Humpty Dumpty fell on his nose.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a pin.
Humpty Dumpty fell on his chin.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a boulder.
Humpty Dumpty fell on his shoulder.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a pie.
Humpty Dumpty fell on his eye.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a deer.
Humpty Dumpty fell on his ear.

Humpty Dumpty sat on the land.
Humpty Dumpty fell on his hand.

Humpty Dumpty sat on the sea.
Humpty Dumpty fell on his knee.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a drum.
Humpty Dumpty fell on his thumb.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a tack.
Humpty Dumpty fell on his back.

Humpty Dumpty said to his friend,
“I’m very tired so this is THE END.”


*Give children an oval shape and scrap paper. After they tear the paper and glue it to the oval add a craft stick to make a puppet them can use as the say the rhyme.

Humpty Dumpty Snack
What could be better than hard boiled "Humpty Dumpty" eggs? Let children draw Humpty on a hard boiled egg, crack the shell, eat the egg, and then try to put the shell back together again.

RHYME TO READ!

Nursery rhymes have been kept alive by children for hundreds of years. That is certainly testimony to their appealing quality to children. Nursery rhymes are short, simple, and are part of our literary heritage. Nursery rhymes are also FREE and can be integrated throughout the day to engage children.

What skills can children develop by saying nursery rhymes?
*oral language,
*auditory memory
*phonological awareness (rhyme, rhythm, alliteration)
*concepts about print (left to right, words)
*story elements (characters, setting, problem and resolution)
*motivation to read

Hint! Although some claim nursery rhymes are violent and stereotypic, the children only hear the surface level and the music of the language.


Piggy Back Tunes
You can sing traditional nursery rhymes to tunes such as “100 Bottles
of Pop on the Wall,” “Yankee Doodle,” and ”Gilligan’s Island.”

Story Elements
Discuss the characters, setting, problem, resolution, etc. in nursery rhymes.

Rhyme of the Week
Select a rhyme each week and write it on a poster or language experience chart. Reread the rhyme each day.
*Clap the syllables.
*Find words that rhyme.
*Listen for words that start the same.
*Look up unusual words in the dictionary.
*Dramatize the rhyme.
*Say the rhyme the wrong way and let children correct you.
*Leave out a word and let the children fill in the missing word.
*Connect with art by letting children make puppets, play dough characters, etc.


Nursery Rhyme Club
Make a poster that says “Nursery Rhyme Club.” Whenever a child can say a rhyme, they get to sign their name on the poster. It would also be fun to give them a membership card!

Would you like some membership cards?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljZmpEYnVyWFNaVk0/view?usp=sharing


My Nursery Rhyme Book
Every child will need a spiral notebook or composition book for this project. Each week run off a copy of a rhyme you want to focus on. (Be sure and increase the font for little eyes.) Children cut out the rhyme and glue it on the left and then illustrate the rhyme on the right. Use the rhyme for choral reading and to reinforce specific skills (letters, left to right, sight words, punctuation, etc.) throughout the week. On Friday children take home their books and read the rhyme to their parents. Encourage parents to write their "comments and compliments" in the book.



Note! Research reinforces with the skills children can develop from nursery rhymes.
rhymes:www.earlyliteracylearning.org
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/20396377_Nursery_Rhymes_Phonological_Skills_and_Reading

WE'RE POETS AND WE KNOW IT!

Today let's see how we can tie in poetry with writing standards. First, ask the children, “What do poets do?” As they respond comment, “You know, we can do that, too. We can all write poems and be poets!!!”

Hint! When writing poems it doesn't matter if children use words that rhyme, nonsense words, or words that don't rhyme.

ACROSTIC
An acrostic is an easy way to begin writing poetry. Model how to do this on the board by writing a word vertically. Have children to think of a word that begins with each letter. Read over what you have written, and you have a poem.

Name Acrostic – Children think of a word that describes them for each letter in their name.

Holiday or Season- Write the holiday or season and then add an adjective that begins with each letter.

Non-fiction – Write a vocabulary word from a unit or theme and then
challenge children to write a word that begins with each letter. 

PICTURE POEMS
Cut out pictures from magazines, calendars, and catalogs. Let children choose a picture and then write a poem about it.

BLANK POEM
Write several lines of poetry, leaving blanks at the end of each line. Encourage the children to fill in words that rhyme. Have them help you sound out the words as you write them. For example:
I saw a pig
Who could ______.
I saw a cat
Who could ______.
I saw a sheep
Who could ______.
And I can rhyme
Any time!

*Use similes for blank poems. For example, children could fill in the line to “Hungry as a _____. Quiet as a______. Sleepy as a ______. Mad as a _______. Good as _______. Sweet as ______.” And so on.

PREDICTABLE POEMS
Give children predictable sentences similar to the ones below. All children have to do is fill in a missing word, and they’ll have a poem.
Hint! They can use words that rhyme, nonsense words, or words that don’t rhyme.
I like_____.
I like _____
I like _____.
Do you like____?

I can _____.
I can_____.
I can_____.
Can you_____?

*I know….I wish….My mom is…Dogs can….Spring is….Green is…. And so forth!
*Write predictable poems using the five senses. It looks like…It sounds
like…It tastes like… It smells like…It feels like…It’s a ….

LAUREL WREATH
Just for fun, let children make laurel wreaths out of paper plates and leaves. The Greeks awarded these in Olympic events for sports as well as poetic meets.