Stories I Like to Sing
Maryann Harman – BA Music Ed/MA Elem Ed
*Music enhances learning because it uses both sides of the brain.
*Studies show the use of drama has an impact on retention even into the next activity.
*Children who participate in chorus groups increase their reading scores
*Meets State Standard requirements - storytelling
Wide-mouthed Bullfrog (WMBF)
book by Keith Faulkner
*Children love this story. If you don’t have book, use pictures or puppets.
*Stay in one place or you become a moving target that is hard to follow.
*For mouse, “Eek”. High pitch sounds energize the brain.
*For ‘hop, hop, hopped’, slap thigh 3 times. Activates vestibular system
*Open and close book for gator page to show jaws moving. .
*Keep finger inserted for easy movement back and forth.
*When finished, open last page. Everyone throws up their arms and yell “Splash!”
Today is Monday (WMBF)
book by Eric Carle
Can have children make their own cards for each and put their favorite food. This presents a
multicultural experience quite naturally.
Mary Jo Huff has this recorded where each day is a different type of weather.
Use of Traditional song to teach:
1. Days of the Week;
2. Signs for days of the week;
3. Various cultures that make up US; and
4. Regions of the US
Each day is represented by taking the letter hand of the beginning letter and moving it in a circle,
in front of the right side of your body (palm facing in). Thursday is a “T” into an “H”. Sunday is
the “5” hands on both sides of shoulders moving outward two times.
The Wonderful Addition of Music to Reading / Books:
*Enhances learning because it uses both sides of the brain.
*Use of drama has impact on retention even into next activity.
*Children who participate in chorus groups increase their reading scores
*Meets State Standard requirements - storytelling
The Wheels on the Bus (Music Makes Me Wanna Move)
*Adding movement to words enhances comprehension
*Movement builds muscle tone for ability to sit still and listen
*Pictures tell a separate story; teaches to look more deeply
BRAIN FACT Being able to keep a steady beat for 1 to 2 minutes is directly related to
reading proficiency. Weikert, ‘95
Babies should be able to keep a steady beat for 2 – 3 mins by the age of 3!!
Children should enter Kindergarten with this skill in place
The Little Red Hen
Traditional
Many state requirements have that part of Elementary Ed is to be knowledgeable to use drama, art
and music. This allows for all three. Children can make masks or costumes.
Have children act it out.
The Three Pigs Rap
Use motion to involve children. Each activity for specific purpose:
*Taking in breath brings oxygen to brain
*Blowing the air out releases toxins
*Building motion is cross-lateral
*Using hands for running sound is steady beat
*Putting fists, one on top of other and alternating, is cross-lateral
*Reading Helen Oxenbury’s book (The Wolf’s Version) teaches perspectives
I Have a Cat
Traditional
Classical version by Aaron Copland. Have children compare
Cat
Dog
Duck
Bear
Snap
open & close
Slap leg hand in front of
Mouth
Can use signs for each animal.
Rooster Spouse
Children
hold thumb
man hand
to forehead to marriage
wife = woman
Sing
Spider on the Floor (WMBF)
*Teaches rhyming words
*reviews body parts
*It’s silly!
Be careful when using songs that they are consistent. ie rhyming words or nonsense words. Using
both in same song can confuse children of this age.
The Unicorn (Shel Silverstein) Irish Rovers / Music with Mar. – Songs I Hadn’t Sung yet
*The song is about Noah’s Ark. If there is a problem with that in your school, don’t use it
*Shel Silverstein used it as a tall tale for an interactive song
*Each animal has a motion; A GREAT sing-a-long
Let’s Go Froggy (or any Jonathan London Froggy Book)
*Repeated phrases help word recognition.
*Teach children to sing “Froggy” and then answer “Wha at?”
*For “Flop, flop, flop” have them tap their thigh.
*Can provide rhythm instruments to interject into story
*Can provide recording device to record reenactment
Consider a Recording Studio Center in your room. It would contain:
*A tape recorder; Blank tapes
*Paper to make j-cards (insertions for cassettes)
*colored pencils
*instruments
*books
Let children:
1. pick a story;
2. put sound effects to it;
3. pick voice parts;
4. record story;
5. play back and analyze;
6. make a j-card for it;
7. bring home to parent
Little Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything (book:Megan Lloyd/Linda Williams)
*Can use flannel board or small props.
*Have children follow along with song and tell story.
*Keep steady beat with hands tapping thighs. Each verse gets faster.
*Point finger; Say in a strong voice “Go away. I’m not afraid of you today!”
*Each part builds on the next, preparing brain for chapter books. (Recall)
Chicken Little (WMBF) State Standard - storytelling
*Retention/comprehension are increases up to two hours after using drama.
*Have children pick different character parts and act out this story
*May videotape and have them watch themselves
Boy Who Cried ‘Wolf!” (WMBF)
Important lesson – value of telling the truth
Show sign for wolf, lie and ashamed.
Have children call back “Wolf, Wolf!”
*Children learn better with more senses involved
*Dramatization helps for better retention for up to 2 hours afterwards
*Children this age learn through emotion. These activities are fun
While Eating Lasagna
*First time through, children listen and watch motions
*Second time, repeat with motions
*Introduces ‘tall tales’/fables
*Can also help with probability – reality vs fantasy
I Know a Smart Woman
Variation of The Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.
Teaches eating from all food groups and making good food choices
I know a smart woman, when her day began,
Ate cereal that had some bran – She’s a healthy woman!
Ate some fruit – like peaches, bananas or berries. They’re cute.
Ate some cheese. Aw jeez! She ate some cheese
Drank some milk (or soy silk) but she drank milk
Veggies she ate. The more on her plate, the more veggies she ate!
Ate meat that was lean. And fish and chicken, for good protein.
I know a smart woman who ate what was good. From each food group as she should.
Use any manipulative you want. Can have Food Pyramid up front and let children take the foods
down as they are being eaten and feed them to the woman.
Come On and Sing! – State Standard – Explore poetry
Little Peter Rabbit (Hear Me Sing)
*Learning when to listen / when to speak
*Song repeats, leave out a word, put in a motion.
*Helps to develop inner voice (ability to think before speaking)
Little Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his nose (3x)
He flipped it and he flopped it and it flew away
Hurray. Hurray for Peter Rabbit (3x)
He flipped it and he flopped it and it flew away
Other suggested Books to use with Music:
*Abiyoyo
*The Marvelous Toy
*Inside a House That is Haunted
*The Jolly Mon
*Amy and the Dancing Bear
Pete Seeger
Peter, Paul & Mary
Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Jimmy Buffet
Carly Simon
Hi! My Name is Jo! (Hear Me Sing; Watch Me Dance)
Hi. My Name is Jo. I’m a wife; I have 3 kids.
And, I work in a button factory.
One day, my boss said to me, “Hey Jo. Are you busy?” I said “No.”
He said “Turn that button with your right hand.
Ch Ch Ch Ch Song repeats - Hi. My name is Jo..
Turn with your left hand. Right foot. Left foot.
Push that button with your nose! Last time:
“Hey, Jo. Are you busy?” I said “Yes!”
There are many renditions to this wonderful song. It is a wonderful tool for breaking up a work day
with a fun activity.
LIST OF RELATED CITATIONS
“Singing Stories”
Maryann Harman, MA ED
Black, S. (1997). “The Musical Mind”. The American School Board Journal. January.
Campbell, C and Brewer, C. (1991) Rhythms of Learning. Tuscon, AZ. Zephyr Press
Campbell, D (2000). The Mozart Effect for Children. New York, NY: William Morrow.
Campbell. D (2000). The Mozart Effect for Children. Is Music Fundamental? Audiotape. The
Children’s Group, William Morrow.
Faulkner, K. (1996). The Wide-mouthed Bullfrog. New York, NY. Penguin Putnam.
Faulkner, K. (1998). The Long-nosed Pig. New York, NY. Penguin Putnam.
Jensen, E. (2000). Music with the Brain in Mind. San Diego, CA. The Brain Store, Inc.
Schiller, P. (1999). “Start Smart”. Beltsville, MD. Gryphon House.
Trelease, J. (2001). The Read-aloud Handbook”. New York, NY. Penguin Books.
Williams, L. (1986). The Little Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything. New York, NY.
HarperCollins.