Any preschool/kindergarten teachers, can you help?
I need some simple chants, rhymes and motion songs for preschoolers who don't speak English. Most of them are gypsy and Rumanian and one of my students teaches them (ages 2-4). A lot of them literally live under bridges or in fields with their parent or whatever. Most of them have never seen TV so they can't relate to the Spanish kids. She is finding it easier to break the culture/language barrier with English, of all things.
She asked me for help. I did remember "I'm a Little Teapot" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Head Shoulders, Knees and Toes" but most of what I remember is actually for older kids, like "Mary Mack" and "I am a Pretty Little Dutch Girl." Too much vocabulary!
Help me out here--remind me of what we did in kindergarten and preschool! Motion songs would be great.
(BTW DH laughed himself silly Friday, listening to us doing "I'm a Little Teapot" and the spider thing. He was in the next room having a good ol' giggle at us!)
try this Yabbit. : )
http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/preschool-rhymes.htm
Rafi, has some great repetitive songs as well...but without the actual cd you really wouldn't not the beat/rhythm. ???
I think any nursery rhymes would work. Here's a big list:
http://www.zelo.com/family/nursery/
Some of those are pretty obscure, but hopefully you can recognize some of the more well-known titles.
Is religious context out? If not, there's "here's the church, here's the steeple, open the doors and here's all the people." The words could be changed.
You could make up moves for Little Miss Muffet
Pat a cake Pat a cake Baker's Man
Five little monkeys jumping on a bed --> movements
I don't think religious context would be out, but she does have to avoid any references to nuclear family as in "Mommy does this and Daddy does that" because half the mommies don't actually know who the daddies are.
These are kids who literally have grown up on the streets, under bridges etc. She has to teach them how to use a Kleenex, how to use a toilet (no, you're not going to fall in and be sucked into the sewer, it's OK, forget what the older Spanish kids told you) and that, hey, it's a good idea to wash your hands once in awhile since we have soap and running water in the potty room. One had actually never seen a bar of soap.
london bridge is falling down
inch by inch
teddy bear picnic
old mcdonald
wheels on the bus
http://bussongs.com/
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^^^ I think that one is perfect... teach them THAT yabbit.
I like Mary had a little lamb....you can also play duck duck goose.... only 3 words, but fun! And Simon says is good for teaching body parts. So is the hokey pokey.
^^^ I think that one is perfect... teach them THAT yabbit.
I like Mary had a little lamb....you can also play duck duck goose.... only 3 words, but fun! And Simon says is good for teaching body parts. So is the hokey pokey.
I taught her the hokey pokey...see the two of us dancing around the room....Jose thought we were crazy. We tried to get him to play, and strangely enough (!) he wouldn't.
I'm not a teacher, but my little one (age 2) loves "Rockabye Your Bear" by The Wiggles. We downloaded it from youtube and it can easily be found on there (if you have any trouble, email me). The lyrics and music are very simple and pre-school appropriate - and include motions.
Everybody Clap (clap)
Everybody Sing (la la)
Bow to your partner (bow)
Then you turn around (turn around)
Hands in the air (hands up)
Rockabye your bear (rocking motion)
Bear's now asleep (sh-sh-sh)
(not to say I have it memorized or anything! ; )
how about...
Head shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes, head shoulders knees and toes, knees and toes, eyes and ears and mouth and nose, head shoulders knees and toes, knees and toes
or
If you're happy and you know it clap your hands,
((repeat))
if you're happy and you know it then your face will surely show it, if you're happy and you know it clap your hands
if you're happy and you know it stomp your feet
((repeat))
((chorus))
If you're happy and you know it shout hooray!
((repeat))
((Chorus))
I'm trying to think of my daughter's favorites in the past couple years. Most are from church but these aren't.
London Bridge is falling down
The more we get together
Down by the bay
Twinkle twinkle little star
The wheels on the bus
Itsy bitsy spider (already mentioned, but a definite favorite.)
This old man.
My 19 month old daughter likes - in addition to some of those already mentioned:
Open Shut Them
Open, shut them, open, shut them (open and close fists)
Give a little clap, clap, clap (clap three times)
Open, shut them, open, shut them (open and close fists)
Place them in your lap, lap, lap (put hands in lap)
Creep them crawl them, creep them crawl them (creep your fingers up your side from the waist to the chin)
Right up to your chinny chin chin
Open wide your little mouth (open mouth)
But do not let them in! (quickly put your hands behind your back)
Beehives
Here are my beehives (present closed fists)
But where are the bees?
Hidden inside where nobody sees!
Here they come, out of the hive!
Let's count them
One, two, three, four, five! (bring fingers out of the fist one-by-one as you count)
Bzzzzzzz! (tickle the child)
Just realized this thread is pretty old. I thought it seemed familiar! Oh well.