CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

Nuts to You
Written by Lois Ehlert
ISBN:  978-0-15-200002-X

Enjoy this wonderful fall selection full of "squirrly" actions and activities.  The book can be easily adapted to the melody of "I Have a Car."  However, after singing 2 verses, or 4 phrases, I add an additional section when I get to the "honk, honk" portion of the song.

Enjoy and keep singing.  Click the link below to purchase this book.

Nuts to You! By Ehlert, Lois (Google Affiliate Ad)

STEADY BEAT - APPLE TREE, APPLE TREE

Apple tree, apple tree,
Will your apple fall on me?
I won't cry and I won't shout
If your apple knocks me out!

This week's activity focuses on steady beat and audiation.  I placed 8 paper plates on the floor and asked the kids to watch as I laid a paper apple on each plate.  As I laid the apple on the plate, I said, "Yum!"  After saying the poem, I touched each plate and said, "Yum."  I asked the children to join and repeated the process.  After saying the poem and "reading" the plates a few times, I removed one of the apples from the plate.  I told them, "Someone ate the apple -- so we have to leave the "yum" out."  We repeated the activity and when we got to the silent plate, we left out the word.  Yes, there were a few that still said "yum" but they were in the moment and I could tell immediately that they realized that they should have been silent.  JOY  :)

Continue repeating the poem and removing apples until all of the apples are gone.  At another time, I have already written quarter rests on the back of each apple and will be ready to practice the quarter rest once I have presented "ta rest."

(Thanks to Jeff and Randy for the inspiration of this activity.)

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE APPLE SHAPES

MELODY - WAY UP IN THE APPLE TREE

I use a tape line and place apples above and below the line.  Have the children sing the sol-mi pattern that is created by the apples.  While I start with a very predictable pattern (the traditional sol-mi melody for this poem), I tell children that I'm going to create my own apple tree song.  Move the apples around and sing the new melody.

Invite children to create their own apple tree song by moving apples above or below the line (improvise).  Once they have created and performed a "song" they like, provide bingo markers and ask them to write their apple song down so that you can share it with other classes (literacy).

Post as many apple songs as possible on a hall bulletin board for other children to sing.  I've had fun listening to the children stop to "sing" the songs as they pass by the board.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE APPLE SHAPES

STEADY BEAT - WAY UP IN THE APPLE TREE

Welcome Back!  Can you believe that it's already time to start another year of blogs?  :)  This year, I decided to focus on the wonderful world of nursery rhymes.  There are so many familiar -- and not so familiar -- rhymes and poems that can engage our classrooms.  Please let me know if you like the idea of having this focus for the year!  :)

Way up in the apple tree
Two little apples smiled at me
I shook that tree as hard as I could
Down came the apples ....
Mmmmm! They were good!

Use this poem to assess steady beat in those first few weeks of school with the little ones.  Invite children to show steady beat in a variety of ways like walking to the orchard (patting a steady beat on the legs), or climbing the ladder, or shaking the tree.

Have a great back-to-school week.  Enjoy the poem and keep sharing your thoughts!