CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

Leap Back Home to Me
Written by Lauren Thompson
Illustrated by Matthew Cordell
ISBN 978-1-4351-5969-3

This story has a wonderful rhyme pattern that makes it easy to sing with many familiar folk songs - however, I sang the book using the melody from Rocky Mountain.  You could also use Frog in the Bucket.  Add a B Section by inviting GR 3 students to read / play / create and play / improvise simple B-A-G melodies after each 4-line phrases were sung.

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To support the improvisation opportunity, students were given 8 frog patterns that had B, A and G written in absolute notation.  Through a step-by-step elimination process, they created an 8 note melody with only the B (yes - simply but a necessary first step for the student), then the B and A, and finally all 3 notes.

Click below to purchase the completed frog pattern manipulative packs for only $5 plus shipping.  In the kit, you will receive 16 frog patterns - 8 B frogs, 4 A frogs, and 4 G frogs.  The link includes a visual of the frog pattern with the absolute notation.  This pack can also be used to create an improvised B Section with the folk song Frog in the Bucket.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE B-A-G MANIPULATIVE KIT.

Once you are at the marketplace - simply click on the manipulative packs tab to view a sample of the product and order.

MELODY

Check back tomorrow (Sunday) for a fun St Patrick's Day activity!!

STEADY BEAT - SHAMROCK TAPPING PAGE

While beginning to work with macro and micro beats in kindergarten, I used large and small shamrocks to continue a concept started in February with hearts.  Place 4 large shamrocks in a line and invite children to say, "big, big, big, big" as each is tapped.  Ask the children, "How many sounds did you hear in the first beat?  One If children are unsure how to answer, ask them to say the word, then clap the word as they say it.  Syllabication and rhythm work together in this activity.

Then, following the sequence suggestions (The Kodaly Approach I by Lois Choksy, p 38) of how rhythms are most easily learned, replace the third shamrock with two little shamrocks.  Repeat the activity saying, "big, big, lit-tle, big" as each is tapped.  Remember to tap only 4 times (on the steady beat) as you move across the shamrocks.

After the shamrocks are placed on the board, I ask the children, "How many sounds did you hear in the first beat?  One  If children are unsure how to answer, ask them to say the word, then clap the word as they say it.  Repeat the questions for each beat in the activity.  Syllabication and rhythm work together in this activity.




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CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

Ten Lucky Leprechauns
Written by Kathryn Heling
Illustrated by Deborah Hembrook
ISBN:  978-0-545-43648-9

This charming and magical add-on story can be sung to the folk melody of Pat Works on the Railway.  You may need to read prior to using in class as some of the language may need to be adapted to fit the rhythmic structure of the song.  Just keep repeating the melody of the song for each of the numbered leprechauns introduced in the story.

If you want to sing the chorus, simply use the words:
Fiddle-de-fizz, up and down,
Fiddle-de-fizz all through the town.
Fiddle-de-fizz off and on
Ten lucky leprechauns.

You can also sing the story to the folk melody of Cedar Swamp - just keep repeating the melody from the verse for each of the numbered leprechauns as you sing.  If you would like to sing the chorus between each number (or page in the story) - simply sing the following:

Fiddle-de-fizz up and down, fiddle-de-fizz home.
Fiddle-de-fizz up and down, fiddle-de-fizz home.


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Create a B or C section (depending on whether you sing the chorus or not) by adding rhythmic clovers.  Use precut clover patterns with rhythmic patterns on them to reinforce the concepts of the grade level in which you are sharing the story.  For primary grades, you may wish to simply use ta and ti-ti patterns.  You can certainly use a quarter rest as well as students in the primary grades (GR 1 and 2) should have mastered this concept by March.

For intermediate grades (GR 3-5), consider using sixteenth note patterns - 1 beat on each clover.  Tape or connect two clovers together to show half note / half rest patterns.





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EXTENSION:  Give children 4 stickers and allow them to write their 4-beat patterns on the stickers.  Remind them that they can only write one beat on each sticker.  Then have them place the stickers on precut shapes or clover coins.  This allows them to manipulate their patterns - creating different 4-beat patterns each time they work with them.

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Enjoy the book and keep singing.

MELODY

STEADY BEAT