Thanks so much for watching my video and heading over to Listen & Learn Music! I’m excited to share “The Toolbox Song” with you because it truly is one of the most effective tools in my musical toolbox (pun totally intended).
My students and clients request this song time and time again, and I am always happy to oblige, because it allows me to work on so many goals at the same time.
To receive the mp3, instrumental track, lyrics/chords and facilitation guide, simply enter your first name and email address below. Then I’ll deliver the download link to your inbox.
Red, Yellow, and Green
Teaching functional skills and real-world concepts are high on my list of priorities, since the ultimate goal for my students is independence. The Hope Institute uses a Skills Assessment to determine whether or not each student is reaching goals such as dressing, eating properly, interacting with peers appropriately, and so on. Included on this list is personal safety, which encompasses crossing the street, using the crosswalk, and identifying traffic signals.
That is the topic of today’s song: learning the meaning of red, yellow, and green as related to the traffic lights. Many teachers use this concept in their classroom or when traveling with students from one place to another, using colored signs to indicate whether students should stop, slow down, or go. Learning and practicing this in a protected environment is the first step in transferring such knowledge to a real-world situation.
Stop when the light is red.
Go when it’s green.
Slow down when the light turns yellow,
That’s the color in between.
The traffic lights are red, yellow and green.
Red, red, is at the top,
Of the traffic light.
If you stop when you see red,
Then you know you’re doing it right.
CHORUS
Yellow, yellow is in the middle,
Of the traffic light.
If you slow down when you see yellow,
Then you know you’re doing it right.
CHORUS
Green, green is at the bottom,
Of the traffic light.
If you go when you see green,
Then you know you’re doing it right.
CHORUS
Although the songs I’ve written cover many of the topics included on my school’s Skills Assessment, there are many more opportunities for new tunes to cover this exhaustive list. Of course, I’ll be posting them as I write them – an ongoing process that will take me well into the summer, I’m sure!
Green Money
With the holidays just around the corner, buying gifts for friends and family is on just about everyone’s to-do list. Many of you probably include your children in this activity, and they may even use some of their own money to purchase presents. Although the concept of exchanging money can be foreign to little ones, there’s no harm in teaching it early.
You may remember the Four Little Coins song I shared several months back. In today’s song, we address paper bills – the green stuff. Although I’m thinking that I should probably write a new money song about plastic, since credit and debit cards are becoming then norm these days. But we’ll keep it old-school for the time being; take a listen.
Green money, green money,
Paper bills are green.
Starting with one to one hundred dollars,
And those that come between.
One dollar,
Two dollars,
Ten and twenty,
Bills in each amount.
Also fifty and one hundred
Dollar bills to count.
Green money, green money,
Paper bills are green.
Starting with one to one hundred dollars,
And those that come between.
Use this tune as an opportunity to explain that paper bills come in different amounts, and use a real (or real-looking) bill to show your child or student how to tell the difference between each. Emphasize that even though a dollar bill and one hundred dollar bill may look very similar, the latter is worth MUCH more than the former. You can also discuss making change, if you’re feeling extra ambitious!
Listen & Learn: Thanksgiving
Okay, everyone…the final countdown has begun! We are only three days away from Thanksgiving, and if your students are anything like mine, they are probably getting restless in anticipation of the holiday and having a mini-break. Maybe you are even experiencing some of this restlessness – I know I am!
But there are still two school days to go before the fun begins, which provides an opportunity to squeeze in just a few more Thanksgiving songs. So with that in mind, I thought I’d recap the songs that I’ve written and have been singing with my students all month long.
Read the original post for each of these songs, including lyrics, here. Also, check out the Songs For Teaching blog (I am one of the bloggers!) for some great songs and ideas. What last-minute Thanksgiving activities are you introducing to your students this week?
Up and Down
You’ve probably noticed that something has been missing from this blog lately: songs! Yes, the very reason many of you visit Listen & Learn in the first place…so thanks for sticking around despite the lack of new tunes over the last couple of weeks. But that is all about to change, since I’ve been saving a few up in the vault.
“Up and Down” is a song I wrote this summer and just happens to be included in the Listen & Learn Songbook. There are so many ways to describe this concept, that I actually had to cut a few verses from the original! But feel free to add as many of your own as you’d like :)
Balls can bounce
Up and down.
Towards the sky,
Then to the ground.
Balls can bounce
High and low,
Up above and down they go.
Frogs can leap
Up and down.
Into the air
Then to the ground.
Frogs can leap
High and low,
Up above and down they go.
Elevators move
Up and down.
To the top floor
And underground.
Elevators move
High and low,
Up above and down they go.
Birds can fly
Up and down.
Way beyond the trees
And to the ground.
Birds can fly
High and low,
Up above and down they go.
We can jump
Up and down.
Towards the sky,
Then to the ground.
We can jump
High and low,
Up above and down we go.
Speaking of up and down, I have certainly traveled my fair share in both directions over the last week! And it’s not over yet; tomorrow I’m heading south to watch my sister-in-law defend her doctoral thesis, which just happens to be on the topic of neuroscience. I’m already preparing to be blown away!
Shapes are Everywhere
Shape identification is a skill I’ve addressed through music with countless students, and I think I’ve also lost count of the songs and activities I’ve used for this particular goal area. There are plenty of songs out there about shapes, but I decided to write my own so that I could choose which shapes I wanted to include, as well as specific examples of each.
Rectangle, circle, triangle, square,
Find them here and there.
In your house, and outside too,
Shapes are everywhere.
Books and doors and picture frames
Are rectangles, usually.
Two sides are short, two sides are long,
Which rectangles can you see?
CHORUS
Wheels and buttons and lollipops
Are circles, usually.
Circles are round and have no sides,
Which circles can you see?
CHORUS
Slices of pizza, cake, and pie
Are triangles, usually.
Three sides that can be short or long,
Which triangles can you see?
CHORUS
Blocks and cheese and checkerboards
Are squares, usually.
Four sides that are all the same,
Which squares can you see?
CHORUS
See what other objects your students can identify in these four different shapes…I actually had a hard time coming up with a few of them! This song just begs for pictures to accompany it, which would be a great art project. What songs or activities have you used to teach shapes? I’d love to hear your ideas!
The Birthday Song You Haven’t Heard (Part 2)
When it comes to ending a music class or music therapy session, I have plenty of goodbye songs from which to choose. But last year for Maggie’s birthday party, I wanted to do something a little different.
So instead of ending the music portion of her party with a goodbye song she already knew, I sang one I wrote especially for her. Thus, the “Birthday Goodbye Song” became a tradition, and I have been using it ever since.
Now it’s time for me to sing my last song.
I’m so glad you came today and sang along.
Thanks so much for joining in and listening too,
I had a wonderful time with all of you!
Music time is over but the party’s just begun,
There’s still so much to do so let’s go have more fun.
Maggie’s turning five so we’re gonna celebrate,
With presents to open and ice cream and cake.
Now it’s time for me to sing my last song.
I’m so glad you came today and sang along.
Thanks so much for joining in and listening too,
I had a wonderful time with all of you!
Short and sweet, because by the time the music portion of a birthday party comes to an end, the birthday girl or boy and guests are getting antsy in anticipation of sugar…lots and lots of sugar. And I don’t mind having a piece of cake and some ice cream, myself!
The Birthday Song You Haven’t Heard (Part 1)
Last year I had the pleasure of helping two of my favorite church mice, Maggie and Samantha, celebrate their birthdays. Not only did I lead music time at both girls’ birthday parties, but I also made them special CDs with some of their favorite songs included.
The girls’ mom has asked for birthday CDs again this year, so I decided to take it one step further. I wrote a personalized birthday song which includes both the name and age of my birthday buddy, in this case, Maggie. I combined my new words and melody with the classic “Happy Birthday” song, which resulted in this:
Doot-do-do, do-do-do
Happy birthday, Maggie!
You are turning five years old.
Celebrate yourself today,
And all the fun this year will hold.
Birthday parties, presents to open,
Cake and ice cream too.
Friends and family come together
And it’s all because of you!
CHORUS
It’s your very special day
So do what you want to do.
Laugh and smile, have a ball.
And may your birthday wish come true!
CHORUS
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday, dear Maggie,
Happy birthday to you!
This tune starts the CD, letting the birthday girl know that it is her very own special song collection. The rest of the playlist includes both favorites recommended by her parents and other Listen & Learn songs I think she might enjoy. There is also a special birthday goodbye song at the end, which again is personalized. Come back tomorrow to hear it :)
‘Dem Bones, ‘Dem Bones
How about a Halloween song that almost everyone knows, or at least has heard once or twice? It’s actually an old spiritual, but over the years has become a staple for this time of year. Most of my students instantly recognize this when I begin singing or playing one of the many versions that has been recorded for children.
My favorite is in the style of a barbershop quartet, and you can find it on the album Wee Sing for Halloween. What’s great about “Dry Bones” is that it doubles as a fun way to work on body part identification.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
Oh see dem skeleton bones.
The foot bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the head bone,
Oh see dem skeleton bones.
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around,
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk around,
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk around,
Oh see dem skeleton bones.
The head bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the foot bone,
Oh see dem skeleton bones.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
Oh see dem skeleton bones.
I usually pass out rhythm sticks for this song, and yesterday, one of my students did the cutest, most clever thing with them. She made a “skeleton” out of an entire tub of sticks, and then pointed to each different “bone” as it was sung. Seriously, these kids never cease to amaze me.
Time to Say Goodbye
Goodbyes aren’t easy. There’s nothing fun about parting with a relative or friend, whether its for a few short days or for an extended period of time. But if saying goodbye is difficult for you, think about how it must feel for a child who has severe separation anxiety issues. Many of the children I work with must deal with this on a daily basis, and that is one of the things we can address during music therapy.
We always end our sessions with a goodbye song, and I try to stick with those that are happy and upbeat so that the transition to the next activity is hopefully a positive one. However, I wanted to address the feelings that some children associate with saying goodbye, which is why I wrote this particular song.
In the morning when I go to school,
It’s time to say goodbye.
To the people I’m leaving, like mom and dad,
It’s time to say goodbye.
Goodbye means only ’til next time,
To the people I’ll see again soon.
Sometimes goodbyes are hard for me,
So I’ll say goodbye with a tune.
In the afternoon when I go home,
It’s time to say goodbye.
To the people I’m leaving, like teacher and friends,
It’s time to say goodbye.
CHORUS (2x)
It’s important to validate the anxious or sad feeling a child may experience when he or she says goodbye, and reassure that it is only a temporary separation (except in the case of death, which is a completely different subject I will be addressing soon).
This song could be used at different transition times throughout the day; I mentioned going to school and coming home from school, but you could easily add verses about going other places or seeing off a friend or loved one for a period of time.
And now I must say goodbye to you! Wednesdays are very busy here at The Hope Institute, and my first of five group sessions begins soon. Have a wonderful day :)
Costumes on Parade
I still remember the costume parades from preschool and elementary school, and my mom even has pictures! I love the idea of using this song to accompany such a parade – it would be so easy to substitute the costumes I used for those that the students are actually wearing.
And even if you aren’t having a parade, you can still sing the song; just ask the students to suggest the costumes to be included. They could even draw pictures of them as an art project!
Come one and all,
Big and small,
Gather ‘round for the parade.
We’re dressing up,
On Halloween,
So many costumes to be seen!
Costumes on parade,
Ghosts and witches walking by,
Mummies, vampires, Frankenstein,
And Batman, me oh my!
CHORUS
Costumes on parade,
Clowns and cats are walking by,
Princesses and firemen,
And Elvis, me oh my!
CHORUS
Costumes on parade,
Frogs and monkeys walking by,
Hannah Montana and Harry Potter,
And ninjas, me oh my!
CHORUS