Down by the Station

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This isn’t the first time I’ve posted about this book: Down by the Station, by Will Hillenbrand. I wrote briefly about it in reference to a student who has a very strong connection to this particular story, so I thought I’d expand on that today.

I like this book because there are so many opportunities to work on specific objectives, including identifying colors and animals, memory skills, and producing sounds. And of course, it’s fun! I’m currently using it with a small group of kids ranging in age from 1-5, and they all love it. It’s funny to listen to my students imitate the animal sounds – theirs are usually much better than mine! One way to adapt this activity is to have your students come up with additional animals and corresponding sounds…the creativity I see never ceases to amaze me.

May Day!

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

May is one of my favorite months of the year. As a kid, it meant that the school year was nearing the end, and now that I work in a school, that remains true! It is amazing to think that there are only four full weeks left before a nice little summer break, and then a much more relaxed summer school schedule.

There are a few other notable happenings this month, including Mother’s Day, my brother’s college graduation, and the day my husband and I have been waiting for…we’re getting a puppy! But in the meantime, let’s kick off the month of May with a song:

May is here, month number five,
Trees and flowers come alive.
Thirty one days from start to end,
So help me sing about May, my friend.

First comes May Day on day one,
Celebrate spring and have some fun.
Then don’t forget about Mother’s Day,
Each family honors Mom in its own way.

CHORUS

Memorial Day is a time that we
Should think about our history.
Let’s honor those who went to war,
And appreciate what they were fighting for.

CHORUS

We’ll have a break when May is through,
Summer time for me and you.
Play outside and sleep in late,
Enjoying our vacation will be so great.

CHORUS

What are you looking forward to this month? I am hoping for May flowers in place of the April showers we’ve been experiencing all week, but it looks like I’m not going to get my wish anytime soon. I am also hoping for a more relaxing weekend than the last one…we’ll see if that happens! Happy May Day to you all.

All Tied Up

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

Ahh, shoe tying. It’s one of those rites of passage that most children go through in their early elementary years…at least, that’s the goal. There are so many ways to go about teaching this skill, and a google search led me to countless rhymes, poems, and little ditties breaking down this skill into manageable steps. I thought I may as well throw my hat in the ring, so this is my addition to the collection.

I can tie my shoes, do you wanna see?
I can tie my shoes independently.
First I make a criss-cross, in the air,
Then loop one end under there.

Pull both laces nice and tight,
Make one loop that has a tail just like a kite.
Now I take the other string and wrap it round the loop,
Guide it through the hole, and that’s the scoop.

Now I’ve got two loops, so I’ll pull them snug,
All I really need is a little tug.
Repeat these steps for the other shoe,
Oh I can tie my shoes, and you can too!

This is a skill that takes lots and lots of practice, and it is one that requires patience on the part of both student and teacher. A song may help, but hands-on action is what will get the job done. Happy tying!

Jingle Joe

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Happy Tuesday! It’s another gray day, but it’s always sunny inside the walls of the Hope Institute :) I have been burning CDs and preparing materials for May all morning, so I thought I’d take a break and do a little blogging.

Yesterday as I was brainstorming new song ideas, a character popped into my head. His name happened to be Jingle Joe, and he plays the tambourine. So I opened up a new Word document, and immediately, the lyrics to “Jingle Joe” came pouring out of my fingers. The melody came just as quickly, and this is the result:

Jingle Joe is a guy I know,
I saw him just the other day.
His hair was green, and he had a tambourine,
And he taught me how to play.

He showed me how to jingle, jingle!
Tap the tambourine against my hand,
Jingle, jingle,
Jinglin’ with Joe, he’s the tambourine man.
He showed me how to shake it high, shake it low.
Shake it fast, Shake it slow.
Tap against my hand,
Jinglin’ with Joe, he’s the tambourine man.

Jingle Stu, well I know him too,
I saw him just the other day.
His hair was red, and this is what he said:
I have a tambourine and I’m gonna play.

He showed me how to jingle, jingle!
Tap the tambourine against my thigh,
Jingle, jingle,
Jinglin’ with Stu, he’s the tambourine guy.
He showed me how to shake it high, shake it low.
Shake it fast, Shake it slow.
Tap against my thigh,
Jinglin’ with Stu, he’s the tambourine guy.

I think next month we’ll dust off the old tambourines and jam to this tune. Maybe I’ll even add a few verses…I think Joe and Stu need some female counterparts :) Well it’s time to get back to work – so long for now!

Counting Time: Umbrellas

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

Rain, rain, go away! I’ve been singing that tune an awful lot this month, which means I’ve also spent a good amount of time counting umbrellas with my students. Of course I’d rather be counting things like suns, sunglasses, and flowers, but I’m just happy to be through with snowflakes, jackets, and mittens. I’ll take what I can get!

Counting time, it’s counting time,
So let’s all sing this simple rhyme.
Ten little umbrellas, in a row,
Now let’s count them nice and slow:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Again!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

How many umbrellas?
Ten little umbrellas,
All lined up in a row.

I think I probably have ten umbrellas between my car, house, and office at school. You’ll never know when you’ll need one next!