Four Little Coins

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

Recognizing, counting, and using money are functional skills that every child is taught at some point in his or her education. I’ve been impressed so many times over the years by the creative methods that teachers use to teach the concept of money, and I can’t tell you how many different songs I’ve heard about the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter.

So I thought to myself, why not add one more to that heaping collection? The song I’m sharing today focuses on recognizing the four main coins, and also their monetary value. I have yet to use this song in a music therapy session as it is fairly new, but hopefully it is effective. “Four Little Coins” goes like this:

There are four little coins in my pocket,
Each one has its own name.
These four little coins are all money,
but their values are not the same.

A penny is copper in color.
Small, thin and round, you see.
Abraham Lincoln is the face on this coin,
One cent for you and me.

CHORUS

A nickel is silver in color.
Small, fat and round, you see.
Thomas Jefferson is the face on this coin,
Five cents for you and me.

CHORUS

A dime is silver in color.
Small, thin and round, you see.
Franklin D. Roosevelt is the face on this coin,
Ten cents for you and me.

CHORUS

A quarter is silver in color.
Big, thin and round, you see.
George Washington is the face on this coin,
Twenty-five cents for you and me.

There are four little coins in my pocket,
Now you know each one’s name.
What it looks like and how much each one is worth,
Because their values are not the same.

I’ve always found that it works best to use actual coins when teaching money concepts, rather than pictures or fake money. One thing I’ve done in the past is put velcro on the back of each coin, and asked students to match the coin with its correct value, name, or description. I made a book for this purpose during my internship, and still pull it out from time to time. What kinds of activities or songs do you use to teach children about money?

All About Autumn

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

It is officially fall! Preparations are being made at The Hope Institute for this weekend’s Fall Festival, which include homemade scarecrows from each classroom (for a song about scarecrows, click here) and decorated leaves.

Though “Fall Into Fall” has been our official song of the season since last year, I wanted to add another one to the rotation. “All About Autumn” includes the major events in the coming months, and although I could have easily added several more verses, I decided that three was enough :) Take a listen:

I want to tell you all about autumn,
That’s another name for fall.
It begins at the end of September,
When the days are short and the trees are tall.

Autumn is a time to change the clocks,
We fall an hour behind.
We get an extra hour to sleep at night,
‘Cause that’s what happens when we rewind.

CHORUS

Autumn is a time for Halloween,
Wearing costumes while we trick-or-treat.
Walking around our neighborhood,
Collecting so much candy to eat.

CHORUS

Autumn is a time for Thanksgiving,
Let’s be thankful for the food on our plate.
And all of the good things in our lives,
With our family, we celebrate.

CHORUS

One of the things I’m looking forward to this autumn is the end of daylight savings. While I know most people would like the sun to stay up longer, I’m eager for it to rise earlier! I wake up at 4:30 am during the week in order to hit the gym, and it is always so much easier to get going when it’s lighter outside. What are you looking forward to in the next few months?

Share Something Positive

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

Good morning! Another Monday is upon us, and although I had a tough time getting going today, I’m making the best of it. Just one of those days, you know?

Luckily, though, I have the perfect song for a day like today, when you just need some extra positivity to lift your spirits. This is an activity I’ve been using with my students recently, and they really seem to enjoy it. I’ll explain more after you take a listen:

Share something positive that happened this week.
It could be at home or school.
Something that you’re proud about or made you smile,
or something you thought was cool.

Many times when a student has something to share with the class and myself, he or she will speak out of turn or interrupt the current activity to do so. This particular song gives each student an opportunity to tell their story or share their thoughts while everyone is listening.

In a similar fashion to the compliment song, this tune is sung before each student’s turn. The positive events they share are quite diverse; one student might talk about going fishing with his grandpa, while another might tell us that she got to go home for the weekend (many of our students live at Hope, as it is a residential facility in addition to the learning center). I love learning more about the children’s lives through this activity.

How about you? I’d love to hear about something positive that happened in your life this week. I shared mine yesterday, so please return the favor in the comments section!

Compliments

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

Several of the classes with whom I work at The Hope Institute are specially designed for children with behavioral issues and disorders. Usually those students are some of the sweetest and most enthusiastic kids I see all week, but there are times where it is very apparent why they were placed in that particular classroom.

One of the problems we often seen is disrespectful interactions with peers. Whether it is a gesture, verbal exchange, or even a look, such behavior can set off not only the involved students, but also can result in classroom-wide disruption.

Respect is a word that is spoken often around here, and I wanted to echo its importance in my music therapy sessions. One of the simplest ways to do so is to foster positive interactions between students – the goal of this song:

You can help somebody feel good today,
Do you know the easiest way?
Just give a compliment to someone else.
Think of something nice to say.

The first time I led this activity, it was like pulling teeth to have students volunteer and compliment a peer of their choosing. However, after everyone had a turn, hands were going up for seconds and thirds. It is sweet to see these outgoing, outspoken kids suddenly become shy as they either give or receive a compliment, but it is apparent how much they enjoy giving them and how much it means to be on the receiving end.

This has become a weekly activity in the behavior-centered classrooms. I sing the verse, call on a volunteer to take his or her turn, and then sing the verse again before the next student goes. They know what to do, but the lyrics remind them that they are causing good feelings in their peers just by giving a simple compliment.

The Leaves on the Trees

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

As I’ve mentioned, oh, just a few hundred times or so before, summer is the #1 season in my book. But there’s just something about the change in temperature, the beautiful colors, and the smell outside as fall approaches that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. The crisp air is so refreshing, and everything seems brand new.

Fall doesn’t officially begin until next week, but I’ve already begun brainstorming and writing songs all about the coming season. The first of those is “The Leaves on the Trees”, which imitates the process of trees shedding their leaves: slowly at first, and then faster and faster until all the leaves are on the ground.

The leaves on the trees,
They sway in the breeze,
They sway all around, all around.
Slowly first, then faster
Until all the leaves fall down.

(Repeat, gradually getting faster each time)

My students love, love, LOVE these “speeding up” songs, and no matter how fast I play, they always yell, “Faster!”. Instruments that work well with this type of song include shakers, bells, tambourines, or anything that a child can play easily and quickly.

How are you and your students preparing for fall? The walls of The Hope Institute (where I work) are covered in autumn artwork, and the kids are already talking about Halloween. They are one step ahead of me!