As a pre-school teacher, nanny, and now student teacher, I have found that songs are not only a great classroom guidance tool, they are also a lot of fun and kids love them! I like to print the words on butcher paper so they kids can link the lyrics to the song. Singing also creates phonemic awareness and is a great early-literacy tool! Most of these songs I made up, but a few are just old classics!
If Your Eyes Are On Me
(courtesy ELC Kinder teacher Aja Appel!)
If your eyes are on me, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If your eyes are on my, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If your eye are on me, and you’re listening carefully,
If your eyes are on me, clap your hands! (clap, clap)
The Whales
(this is the theme song that I came up with for my Kinder placement!)
We’re the Whales, the Whales,
And here’s our fantastic tale:
When there is no way out, don’t sit and pout,
Just simply call the Whales!
Through thick, and thin,
When troubles do begin,
When the Whales are on your side,
You’re always gonna win!
When days are sad and weeks are bad,
You’ve had a crummy year,
We’ll swim a mile to make you smile,
We’ll always be right here!
The Whales!
Open Shut Them
(great for when you have busy little hands everywhere!)
Open, shut them (open and shut fingers)
Open, shut them (open and shut fingers)
Give a little clap, clap, clap (clap on the words)
Open, shut them,
Open, shut them,
Lay them in your lap, lap, lap (pat thighs on words)
You’re A Writer!
(To the Chick A Boom chant. I sing this before writing time!)
Teacher: You’re a writer, Chick A Boom!
Kids: I’m a Writer, Chick A Boom!
Me: You’re a Writer, Chick A Boom!
Kids: I’m a Writer, Chick A Boom!
Me: Gonna read, gonna write, gonna think like Writers do!
Kids: Gonna read, gonna write, gonna think like Writers do!
Me: Uh huh
Kids: Uh huh
Me: Oh yeah
Kids: Oh yeah
Me: Let’s get writing!
Good Morning Song
(call and response.)
Teacher: Good morning, good morning, and how do you do?
Child: Good morning, good morning, I’m (fine, sad, mad, tired, happy), how are you?
Readers, Let’s Read
(To the tune of Baby Beluga. I sing this before storytime or a reading lesson!)
All the Whales on the carpet, I see!
Are you ready to read with me?
Show me that you’re ready with your eyes on me!
Okay Readers, let’s READ!
Tiny Turtle
(I have the kids wash their hands to this song and they get to clap at the end and get me wet...they love it! It also gets them to clean their hands for longer than two seconds...)
I had a little turtle,
His name was Tiny Tim.
I put him in the bathtub, to see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water,
He ate up all the soap.
And in the morning he woke up with bubbles in his throat!
Bubble, bubble, bubble.
Bubble, bubble, bubble.
Bubble, bubble, bubble.
Bubble, bubble, POP! (clap hands)
Circle Time!
(I use this for heading to the carpet...)
This is the way we walk to the carpet,
Sit on our bottoms,
Hands in our laps!
This is the way we show we’re ready for circle time!
