Teaching simple songs in preschool

I wrote this article for Teaching Tiny Tots a few months ago on teaching simple songs to preschoolers.  In this article, I talk about using the S-I-M-P-L-E method when introducing simple songs and fingerplays to young children.

Singing and Chanting the Itsy Bitsy Spider!

Extending learning through music and fingerplays in the preschool classroom

Music and fingerplays are a wonderful tool for teaching in the preschool classroom. Do you have a favorite song or fingerplay that you sing or say often with your preschool students?

Print the words
Choose a favorite song or fingerplay that your students know well and print the words out on a large sheet of chart paper. The students already know the words by heart and now they can make the connection between what they hear, sing or say, and what they see.

Much like reading a favorite children's book, favorite songs and fingerplays can be presented to young children through print to help them draw connections between symbols and sounds. Remember, choose songs that your preschoolers already know well.

Point to the words
Once you have the words printed out, recite the song or fingerplay with your students again, only this time, point to the printed words as you do. Leave the printed page out for your preschoolers to view on their own. Some will pretend to read the words simply because they are already familiar with them.

Make word puzzles
For older preschoolers, print the words on sentence strips and then cut them apart like a puzzle. Let the children look at the printed words on the chart and see if they can recreate the words with the strips. Give your students clues like "where is the Capital letter H?" or "Where do you see a comma?".  For those of you who are artistic, you may wish to illustrate the song as well to help younger preschoolers identify the different words in the song.

Sing along
As your students work to explore the words of a song or fingerplay, sing the song aloud often or recite the fingerplay often to remind them of the sounds and words they are viewing.

Adapt
For younger students, cut the words of the songs into phrases rather than individual words. For older students, try mixing up the words and see if they can put them back together. Always leave the chart out with for easy viewing and reference.


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Fingerplays Take Practice

In order to be effective in the use of fingerplays, the teacher must first select a fingerplay that relates to current learning and then practice, practice, and practice. The more familiar and skilled the teacher is in reciting and acting out the fingerplay, the more effective the teacher will be in using and/or presenting the fingerplay.


Use fingerplays effectively ...

I once observed a teacher who effectively started a fingerplay and all the children joined in. At the end of the fingerplay, the child became very quiet. The teacher immediately responded with a loud "SEE HOW QUIET YOU ALL CAN BE!" Well they weren't quiet anymore.

Use fingerplays to quiet the children and capture their attention. When it is working, don’t stop! Move right on into the next activity.

Why practice fingerplays?

• To be the most effective, fingerplays must be fun and engaging.
• To be fun and engaging, teachers must know the material well.
• Don't wait until you sit in front of the class to start learning a new fingerplay.

Practice in your car, practice at home, and repeat the fingerplay often with your students so they can get good at it too. The more students participate, the more they will begin to like it. Something new always takes a bit to catch on and become fun. Dedicate yourself to learning one or two new fingerplays a week and always use the one's you already know often.

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What is a Daily Lesson Play?



Copyright © 2009 Deborah J. Stewart, All Rights Reserved!

What is a Fingerplay?

It is a must that every early childhood educator spends time learning and memorizing a wide variety of fingerplays.

A fingerplay is a short poem or rhyme

that is either spoken or sung and involves

the use of hands and fingers to help "act" it all out.

What is the purpose of a fingerplay?

Fingerplays serve a variety of purposes...

• They help capture a young child's attention;

• They engage the child in the learning process;

• They promote the young child's imagination and creativity;

• They increase a young child's language, vocabulary, and listening skills;

• They involve and promote the development of fine motor skills;

• They help the teacher give directions and instruction.

• They provide entertainment for down time.



An example of a fingerplay

Way up high in the Apple Tree (Point finger up)

Five red apples smiled at me. (Hold up five fingers)

I shook that tree as hard as I could, (Clasp hands together and shake back and forth)

Down fell an apple, mmm it was good. (Rub tummy with both hands)

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(This fingerplay has an Unknown Author)

Copyright © 2009 Deborah J. Stewart, All Rights Reserved!