Ms. Brigid here, from Merit School of Music in Chicago. Thank
you for joining me. On a hot summer night in Chicago – and
we’re having a lot of them all of a sudden – I met with a group of Pre-K
teachers to conduct a workshop on
“Musical Building Blocks” focusing on elements and techniques for successfully
integrating music into the classroom and circle time. We discussed fast and
slow, high and low, piano and forte, sound
and no sound, stopping and starting, how to teach a song and sing a book. Woven throughout
were transition chants and songs to facilitate movement and change levels
from sitting to standing. Here are a few of my favorites. Please share yours below in "Comments" or email them directly to me (gardengoddess1@comcast.net). I will post them to our community so we can all
benefit!
Down
Is the Earth (chant)
Down
is the earth. (Drum
the floor)
Up is the sky. (Fling
arms up in air, above head. Voice rises)
Here
are my friends, (Both
hands gesture to friends on either side)
And
here am I. (Both
hands touch chest)
I found this chant on one of my down the rabbit
hole internet searches, purely by accident, and have not as yet been able to
track down the provenance. Thank you to whomever penned it! My 2-3s and 3-5
year old children loved this from the beginning of the year to the end. It’s extremely
flexible – and can be performed sitting or standing. Use of comparatives
(high/low, piano/forte, etc.) are especially effective. When children are
comfortable, try the chant using opposite movements, e.g. standing and reaching up to the sky while chanting "down is the earth," etc.
*A chant merely means that the words are spoken,
not sung.
Two Little Hands (chant)
Two little hands go clap,
clap, clap. (Clap hands simultaneously with “clap”)
Two little feet go tap, tap, tap. (Stamp feet – more fun than tapping!)
One little body turns around. (Turn body around one time)
Everyone here sits right down. (Everyone sits down)
Everybody Have a Seat
Piggyback tune: Shortnin’ Bread
Everybody have a seat, have a seat, have a seat,
Everybody have a seat on the floor.
Not on the ceiling, not on the door,
Everybody have a seat on the floor.
Everybody have a seat, have a seat, have a seat,
Everybody have a seat on your chair.
Not on the ceiling, not on the stair,
Everybody have a seat on your chair.
A favorite with both children and teachers, this is a great way to
get from high to low, from standing to seated. Encourage other rhyming pairs –
the sillier the better.
Some ideas: Everybody have a seat… on
the rug. Not on a ___, not on a bug,… or
Everybody have a seat…at the circle. Not at a ___, no at a birkel,… and etc. This chant can also be used to line kiddos up at the end of
the day (Everybody line up… at the door) – really, there are no limits
to the way it can be used. Pre-K and K teachers are the champions of creative
“piggybacking” – adapting words to known melodies for their own purposes!
Tall As A Tree (chant)
Tall as a tree. (Stand and stretch arms as high as possible)
Wide as a house. (Stretch arms and legs out wide)
Thin as a pin. (Jump body back, arms glued to body)
Small as a mouse. (x2) (Curl into small ball)
Per friend Allison Ashley:
To transition to lining up, end with “quiet as a mouse.”
Thanks for reading!
Please share your transitions chants and songs below in “Comments” or
email me: gardengoddess1@comcast.net.
I hope you’ll join me next month for musical musings.
Until then, happy singing!
Merit School of Music, Chicago
Call on Merit School of Music! Our onsite school is
in the West Loop. We work in the schools throughout the area providing band,
orchestra, percussion, choir, early childhood, and general music instruction
with project based units including Recorder, Music and Storytelling and
Songwriting. We do great work! YoYo Ma is a supporter!
Chicago Families
Please come to Merit’s Storytime sessions – the 2nd
and 4th Mondays of the month. It’s free, fun, and facilitated by
singers and storytellers Amy Lowe, Irica Baurer & me. Stories and songs
start at 11am, and we end with instrument exploration and family networking.
Storytime will continue through the summer months, so come on down!
The next session is July 27.
Blog History
I am continually inspired by The Children’s Music Network (CMN) community. an international group of socially conscious musicians, educators, librarians, families, songwriters and good people, who “celebrate the positive power of music in the lives of children by sharing songs, exchanging ideas, and creating community.” Please visit CMN, and find a gathering in your region.
©2015 Brigid Finucane * 847-213-0713 * gardengoddess1@comcast.net
http://prekandksharing.blogspot.com
@booksinger1
June 2015. Summer
Songs
April 2015. Crescendo
-And Sites to Sigh For: edWeb & CMN
July 2014. Educators
Who Care, Share. Singers, Sites & Songs Part I: Midwest & Ontario (Listening Locally)
Feb.2014. Pete
Seeger – A Time to Thank
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