When I write a song, these are some of the things I want to do...
- I want the song to be simple
- I want the song to be repetitive
- I want the song to introduce new and fun vocabulary
- I want the song to have words that rhyme
- I want the song to be about things that are meaningful to preschoolers
One of the problems with blogging, is that you secretly hope for comments and when you don't get them, you wonder if anyone actually likes the song or gets what you are trying to do... But you keep going because you believe in it. AND THEN someone drops you a note like this....
Fox Toy Box said "come on over and see what we did with your Hot Cocoa song!" This is an amazing post that full fills my every dream as to how my music can be used in the preschool classroom. So please view the Fox Toy Box post next!
In addition, Nicole from Tired, Need Sleep shared with me this comment....
"Deborah, I just wanted to let you know that Matthew and I sat and watched almost all of your presentations on here today. It was the perfect thing for a day at home with two sickies. :) He loved all the songs and thinks you are very pretty and wants to know why the wood was too hard for the hammers. lol. Thanks for all you do! :)"
A compliment for my ego and an inquisitive thought inspired by the Hammer song - now who could ask for anything more? My answer....
Dear Matthew,
I think that the little hammers were just tapping too lightly but when the big hammer came along and pounded on the nail, the nail was just too worn out from all that tapping and then it just bent!
Deborah
Great post, and great suggestions for writing your own songs. I have made up my own songs for so many years, I have never sat down to think about how I make them up, but your list pretty much hits it right on the nail.
ReplyDeleteI was always making up songs about the things we were learning in the Special ed classes I worked in, that helped the kids to remember the material.
I just had my parent teacher conference with my daughters teacher and she said that when asked if my daughter knew the name of the street she lived on she started singing the song I taught her with our street name in it. (The Muffin Man song with my daughters name and street inserted in.) The teacher was so pleased she is going to use the same method to help the other kids learn their streets. So yes, yes! Singing is a great way to teach little ones. Although I am stumped for a tune to put our phone number into. Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteI blogged a telephone song idea for you on my fingerplay blog!
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