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| Sticking your head to the floor - with bubblegum? |
Happy September to all from Miss Carole of
Macaroni Soup! By now some of the
routines of school are humming, others are still being assimilated into the
day. The one thing that shouldn’t get
lost in the mix is a commitment to keep the music flowing. For some students, the little song or chant
that you’ve put in their heads is a comfort.
For some it’s a joyful outburst!
I recently saw a post on my FaceBook page
from a teacher who’s been using my music for about 15 years. Miss Chris – I’m talking about you! Miss Chris’ classroom sings a lot. They move
a lot. They’re really good learners! In this
case she posted, “Made it through
the first week of preschool with our new favorite song, Sticky Bubblegum, Carole Stephens ,
we sang it today 3-times in a row! Can't wait to hear the next CD!!!”
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| Miss Chris is in bubblegum pink on the right! |
Why would Miss Chris sing the same song THREE TIMES IN A ROW? I’m
guessing:
1. The kids said “Do it again!” when
they finished.
2. They heard it the first time to
get how it goes. They enjoyed it the second time because they now understood
the pattern and words.
3. They did it the third time because
they knew what to do and that’s truly when the fun kicks in!
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| Toe to nose? Got it! |
SO, remember, just because YOU are tired of a song or activity, keep doing it. Your typical preschooler needs to hear something 4-6 times before it is theirs and they can reproduce it with joy and abandon! For K’s, that number is 2-5 times. So even though you are thinking “I can’t do that song again” –
Oh Yes You Can!
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| Clapping side to side! |
What’s the “Sticky Bubble Gum” song? Well, aside from being the title track of my very first recording, “StickyBubble Gum …and Other Tasty Tunes”, it’s one of the all-time most popular songs I sing! It’s a quick zipper song (same song over and over, just insert a new body part to stick to another body part!) Learn it, and you can keep the class listening for what to do next. Here’s my version:
STICKY BUBBLE GUM
Sticky sticky sticky bubble gum
Bubble gum, bubble gum.
Sticky sticky sticky bubble gum
Sticking my hands to my shoes – Un-STICK!
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| Sticky Bubble Gum lover! |
Sing it again (and again and again), changing what body part sticks to what. I stick elbows to knees, toe to nose, hand to
someone else’s hand, back to someone else’s back, and head to the floor.
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| sticking hands to shoes! |
MOVEMENT: Clap hands on the beat from one side to the other during this song. Children whose brains are ready to do cross-lateral movement will, those that aren’t ready will clap directly in front of them. Model where to stick their hands – to their shoes – and then pull hands off with a gleeful “UN-STICK!”
What’s next? (That’s what my
students usually ask!) Well, you could
do “The Wiggle Song” from last month’s blog.
OR a circle dance like “B-I-N-G-O”, from last month’s blog.
OR how about a rhythmic chant? First, ask if anyone has ever been
camping? Did they sleep in a sleeping
bag? Was there a tent? What sounds did they hear?
This is a great time to practice taking turns by raising a hand to signal that a child has an idea.
Take the first idea (unless it’s totally inappropriate, in which case you can suggest one to get things started.) Hear the rhythm HERE, and it’s on my H.U.M.: Highly Usable Music cd.
OR how about a rhythmic chant? First, ask if anyone has ever been
camping? Did they sleep in a sleeping
bag? Was there a tent? What sounds did they hear? This is a great time to practice taking turns by raising a hand to signal that a child has an idea.
Take the first idea (unless it’s totally inappropriate, in which case you can suggest one to get things started.) Hear the rhythm HERE, and it’s on my H.U.M.: Highly Usable Music cd.
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| Great howling! |
I was lying in my sleeping bag
I couldn’t get to sleep
When the winds began to howl –
And the bugs began to creep
So I rolled to the left
And I rolled to the right
And I heard every sound that you hear at night!
Owls:
Hoo, Hoo, Hoo!
This is a scaffolding song. Ask for another sound to add,
start at the beginning and add the new sound, then do the last one, too! Like this:
start at the beginning and add the new sound, then do the last one, too! Like this:
…And I heard every sound that you hear at
night!
Bats:
Fl-ap, fl-ap, fl-ap!
Owls:
Hoo, Hoo, Hoo!
Urban students may hear traffic/car horns,
people talking, etc. Rural students may
hear cows mooing or coyotes (even if they haven't ever heard a real one, it’s a favorite sound because
kids love to howl!)
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| walking hands on legs |
MOVEMENT: Gently
tap alternating hands on legs for the first 4 lines. Then lean to the left, lean to the right, and
go back to tapping for the last line, ending on “night!”
This chant can also be enjoyed with shakers –
eggs, maracas, bottle shakers (check out my FB page for a video tutorial of how
to make Bottle Shakers.) But teach the
chant several times before adding instruments.
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| Teachers practicing blowing bubbles! |
Have a wonderful September. I’ll be all over Illinois and Iowa, and in North Carolina, too! Check my website Events Calendar to see if I’m coming to your state! If not – why not? Call me and we can talk about the possibilities for a Professional Development workshop, Family Concert of other event in your area!
October? California here I come!
November - Indianapolis!
Yours for a Song!
“Miss Carole” Stephens
