Early Childhood Classics - Old Favorites With A New Twist

The simplicity and repetition of these songs guarantee active participation by encouraging children to sing and move with the music. While having fun and participating actively, children develop motor and musical skills and learn about animals, counting, identification of body parts, and phonics. As children sing along, responding to the imagery and humor of the lyrics, reading readiness is also enhanced. Alliteration and rhyme develop a child's ear for the sounds of language - an important pre-reading skill.

These songs are developmentally appropriate for the very young child - infant to 5 years. However, the familiar melodies and contemporary arrangements also elicit surprisingly gusty participation from first and second grade students. A variety of musical styles adds new life to well known songs with swing, blue grass, country, classical, rock, pop, and blues arrangements.

Fifteen songs are presented with vocal interpretation. The sequence is then repeated instrumentally providing opportunities for singing along and creating new lyrics using children's ideas. The instrumental selections also familiarize children with the sounds of a variety of musical instruments including piano, bass, drums, guitar, violin, viola, cello, trumpet, trombone, tuba, French horn, saxophone, flute, English horn, accordion, and a variety of percussion instruments such as conga drums, bougaraboo drum, ouiro, shaker, wood block and tambourine.

The instrumental versions of each song can be used in the following ways:

1. After children have learned words with the vocal version, they can sing along hearing only the music.

2. Children can create their own lyrics and sing the song using their ideas.

3. The music can accompany sessions in movement exploration and creative movement.

Suggestions for activities and variations are not limited to those presented in this guide book. There are endless possibilities awaiting your creative impulse.