SING TO LEARN

Writing these blogs is like a trip down memory lane for me. I remember taking this picture in my garage as if it were yesterday. My first three recordings were just fun songs to sing because in the 70's and 80's we were all about the WHOLE child and giving them happy experiences. When the academic push started I felt compelled to share some songs where children could have fun and develop skills at the same time. I still maintain that children can learn anything through music and movement!

Take a look at all the songs for phonics, sight words, math, social studies, and science.

Oops! Bill Clinton was President then. You'll have to make your own version with Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden!

Songs on this recording include:

1. Color Farm
2. Alphardy
3. Rime Time Song
4. Phon-ercise
5. Gumball
6. Sing And Sign
7. Tooty Ta (Open Version)
8. Macarena Math
9. Numeral Song
10. The Shape Song
11. Hickory Dickory Dock
12. Continents
13. Oceans
14. Directions
15. The United States
16. The Presidents
17. Good-bye Song

HELLO NEIGHBOR & I KNOW AN OLD LADY

You'll always have a good day when you start with a song. What a great way to encourage friendship and happiness!

Hello, Neighbor!

Hello, neighbor. (Wave to partner.)
What do you say? (Give high five.)
It’s going to be a (Slap, clap, tap hands.)
Happy day.
Greet your neighbor. (Shake hands.)
Boogie on down. (Wiggle hips.)
Give a bump, (Bump hips.)
And turn around. (Turn around.)

Note! You can do this song as a line dance where children step down to the next partner each time you sing.

Change “bump” to “jump” if your students bump too hard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ywIu30lqKA

Teach children how to shake with their right hand and encourage them to say good morning to their friends by shaking hands.

Here's a video I made several years ago with my granddaughter where I demonstrate some fun handshakes.

Click to view handshakes

I Know an Old Lady

I really do know an old lady - ME!!! Here's a video where I "try" to sing and sign.

Click to view

Note! Instead of having the old lady "die," my lady just "cries." Isn't that better?

Here are a few visuals and craft activities that can be adapted to any version of the Old Lady.

Note!  You can find free images online for the different stories or let children make their own illustrations. 

Sandwich Bag Old Lady

Give children a circle to decorate for the head of the old lady. Staple the head to the back opening of a zip sandwich bag. Staple on strips of paper for arms and legs as shown. Run off copies of the different items for the book or song you are singing. Children line up items in sequential order and then insert them in the bag as you sing.

Paper Plate Old Lady

Cut the center out of a paper plate. Use the center for the Old Lady’s head and attach with a brad fastener. Attach strips of paper with brad fasteners for arms and legs. Tape a sandwich bag to the back of the plate so you can insert illustrations as you sing.

KEEP ON SINGING

One day when Holly was little and just "piddling" like little kids do, my husband asked, "What are you doing?" She replied, "I don't know what I'm doing...I'm just doing!" Well, that's kind of how things went when I made my CDs. I never intended to make one, and here I was making my third one. I didn't know what I was doing, but I just kept on singing and dancing.

All I can say is THANK YOU!!!!


Titles on this recording include:

1. Hello, Neighbor
2. I Know an Old Lady
3. The Opposite Song
4. Let Me See You Boogaloo
5. I Am the Music Cantor
6. I’m a Nut
7. Wally Acha
8. Peanut Butter
9. Alphabet Forwards and Backwards
10. Boom Chica Boom
11. Have You Ever Been Fishing?
12. The First 12 Days of School
13. May There Always Be Sunshine


Click here to see all the ways you can access the songs on Keep on Singing.

TODAY IS SUNDAY & FIVE LITTLE MONKEYS

I know it's Tuesday, but this is one of my all-time favorite songs that you can sing any day.

Today Is Sunday
Today is Sunday. (Put hands in arm pits and flap
Sunday – chicken. like a chicken.)
All you lucky children,
Well, that’s O.K.

Monday – peanut butter (Extend left hand and spread peanut butter with right hand.)

Tuesday – snap beans (Snap fingers.)

Wednesday – soup (Pretend to slurp soup.)

Thursday – ice cream (Pretend to lick a cone.)

Friday – hotdogs (Slap hands together.)

Saturday - pizza (Extend palm in air as if carrying a pizza.)

Click to view

And here's the Spanish version that my webmaster Alex May created.

Click to view

And thanks to Mariela Anderson I've got a sign language version.

Click to view

Write the days of the week on seven paper plates as shown. Let children draw the foods in the song or download images. Pass these out to seven children and let them stand in front of the room and hold up their plate at the appropriate time in the song.


Five Little Monkeys
Five little monkeys swinging from a tree, (Hold up five fingers.)
Teasing Mr. Alligator, “Can’t catch me.”
Along came Mr. Alligator quiet as can be,
And snatched a monkey right out of that tree!

Four little monkeys… (Hold up appropriate number of

Three…two…one… fingers on hand.)

“Missed me, missed me. (Stick thumbs in ears and tease.)

Now you gotta kiss me!”

Activities: Choose five children to be monkeys and one child to be the alligator to act out this song.

I've even got videos for you in English and Spanish!

ENGLISH
Click to view

SPANISH
Click to view

DR. JEAN & FRIENDS

Much to my surprise and delight, my first recording was enjoyed by children and teachers. I still had many songs in my heart so I decided to make just one more! You'll meet some of my "friends" like Patalina, Mother Goony Bird, and Miss Sue from Alabama on this recording. Oh, yeah, and the all time favorite "Tooty Ta" was introduced on this CD. 

Note!  Other musicians have recorded this song, but I was the FIRST!

Many ask where I "got" my songs. Most of them are old camp songs that I sang as a child years ago. It proves that kids are kids and silly songs are fun forever!

Titles on this recording include:

1. Today Is Sunday
2. Monkeys and the Alligator
3. Tarzan
4. Elephant Song
5. Mother Goony Bird
6. My Mother Is a Baker
7. Dr. Knicker Bocker
8. Nursery Rhyme Rap
9. Miss Sue
10. My Hands on My Head
11. Tooty Ta
12. Days of the Week
13. Macarena Months
14. Weather Song
15. I Had a Bird
16. Patalina Matalina
17. Special Me

Here is a video for one of these songs.

BABY FISH & BUBBLE GUM

I bet you all know the "Shark" song. About 20 years before "Baby Shark" I recorded "Baby Fish." 

Baby Fish
Baby fish, do-do, do-do-do-do, (Open and shut index
Baby fish, do-do, do-do-do-do. fingers to the beat.)
Baby fish, do-do, do-do-do-do, (Open and shut index
Baby fish, do-do, do-do-do-do. fingers to the beat.)

Momma fish… (Open and shut hands.)
Daddy fish… (Open and shut arms.)
Giant whale… (Extend arm and leg to make whale’s mouth.)

I hope your children will enjoy this video that Alex May created.

Click to watch video

*Let children make up other verses, such as one about uncle fish, grandma fish, etc. Have the children suggest arm movements to do for the different fish.


Bubble Gum Song 

Bubble gum, bubble gum, (Roll hands around each other.)
Chewy, chewy, chewy, chewy, chewy (Pretend to pull hands apart.)
Bubble gum. (Roll hands around.)
Bubble gum, bubble gum,
Chewy, chewy, chewy, chewy, chewy (Pull hands apart.)
Bubble gum.
I love it! I love it! (Throw arms up in air.)
Chewy, chewy, chewy, chewy, chewy
Bubble gum.
I love it! I love it!
Chewy, chewy, chewy, chewy, chewy
Bubble gum.

Faster…
Super fast…

Note! Studies show chewing gum helps improve memory, reduce stress, and can increase alertness! (Wow! Whoever knew???)

This is a cute video that some teachers made. It's a reminder that if the teacher is enthusiastic and having fun, then the children will have fun as well.

Click to view

 

 

Click to watch Bubble Gum

SING A SILLY SONG

JOURNEY DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH ME THIS MONTH!  

All of my blogs this June will focus on the songs that I have recorded.  You'll get free downloads, plus activities to extend learning in your classroom.

SILLY SONGS was the first recording I made over 25 years ago. (I guess that's why I look so young in the picture!) When people introduce me as a musician I say, "Oh, no, I'm not a musician. I'm just a teacher who likes to sing." I can't play an instrument, but I was blessed to hook up with a talented arranger named Mark Dye. He deserves all the credit for the simple, yet engaging, musical arrangements on all my CDs.

Back in the 90's songs were a major part of workshops I did for teachers. They would often ask, "Do you have a tape with your songs?" (Yes, now you know how OLD I was because CDs were just becoming popular.) I finally decided, "O.K. I'll just make one tape with some of my favorite silly songs." (That was back in the day when happy and engaged children were more important than academics.)

It was a big investment for our family, and when the recording arrived I was so proud to play it for my father (also my biggest fan). As he listened a huge smile was on his face and he said, "Jean, is that you?" "Yes," I replied. "What are you going to do with it?" he asked. I said, "I'm going to sell them at my workshops." His response was, "Oh, honey, nobody's going to pay money for that."

Well, guess what? They did! And now thanks to technology it's yours to download for your music library or to stream directly to your device.

Titles on this recording include:

1. I Like You, There’s No Doubt About It
2. The Alligator
3. The Cool Bear Hunt
4. Katalina Matalina
5. Over in the Meadow
6. Bringing Home a Baby Bumble Bee
7. I Wish I Had a Little Red Box
8. The Butterfly
9. Tiny Tim the Turtle
10. Twink a Link
11. Baby Fish
12. The Three Boppin Bears Rap
13. Hello, How Are You
14. La De Da De Da
15. Silly Willy
16. Pepperoni Pizza
17. The Beaver Call
18. The Bear Went Over the Mountain
19. Five Fish Swimming in the Sea
20. I Wish I Were
21. Bubblegum
22. The African Village Song
23. It Is Time to Say Good-Bye


See you tomorrow as I share two of my favorite songs from this collection.

Just click here to see all the ways you can access my songs.

https://www.catapultdistribution.com/magnet/Dr.-Jean-Feldman/Dr.-Jean-Sings-Silly-Songs