Songs are often a part of therapy sessions with young children. Some benefits include:
It's important to have fun with songs and to be an animated entertainer. When we make this a fun time for us and children, they will learn and participate the most. While listening to children's CDs or watching videos online may also contribute to children's musical learning, the benefits are much more limited. Children miss out on the variability that a real song has, compared with one that is recorded and is the same every time; their attention tends to diminish. When used to pre-recorded music, some children become upset with real-life music as the unexpected can disturb their sense of security. And most importantly, CDs and screens mean that children are not watching your face (your eyes and your mouth) while you are singing and lack a rich social interaction.
Some of my favourite songs are listed below. Most have lots of actions; these help children learn gestures and make the words easier to learn and remember too. I like to practice familiar songs and also add new ones. I organized the list from some of the earliest songs I use to some later, more complex ones.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
(hold your child's hands and rock back and forth)
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
Roly Poly
Roly poly, roly poly (roll hands, as in Wheels on the Bus song)
Up, up, up (lift hands up higher with each "up"); up, up, up (repeat lifting hands up each time)
Roly roly poly, roly roly poly (roll hands)
Down, down, down; down, down, down (lower hands further with each "down"; repeat)
Roly poly, roly poly (roll hands)
Out, out, out; out, out, out (move hands out more with each "out"; repeat)
Roly roly poly, roly roly poly (roll hands)
In, in, in; in, in, in (move hands together with each "in"; repeat)
Next verses
-- fast, fast, fast (roll hands and sing fast) and slow, slow, slow (roll hands and sing slowly)
-- loud, loud, loud (cup hands and yell "loud") and "sh, sh, sh" (finger to lips for "sh")
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Twinkle, twinkle, little star; how I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high; like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle, little star; how I wonder what you are
The Eensy Weensy Spider
The eensy, weensy spider climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the eensy, weensy spider climbed up the spout again
Head and Shoulders
(touch the body part as you sing each one)
Head and shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes, knees and toes
Head and shoulders, knees and toes
Eyes, ears, mouth and nose
If You're Happy and You Know It
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If you're happy and you know it, and you really want to show it
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap, clap)
More verses:
If you're mad and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp, stomp)
If you're sad and you know it, cry boo-hoo -- "boo-hoo" (while rubbing hands in front of eyes)
If you're excited and you know it, shout hurray -- "hurray!" (while raising hands up high)
You can also make up other verses, such as "if you're hungry, eat some food -- yum-yum!" while you pretend to eat; "if you're dirty, wash your hands -- wash-wash" while rubbing hands; "if you're tired, go to sleep" then pretend to sleep and snore.
Old MacDonald
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O
With a moo-moo here, and a moo-moo there
Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo-moo
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
Other verses:
horse (neigh), chicken (bok-bok), pig (oink), sheep (baa); you can also do dog (woof), cat (meow), goat (maa)
The Wheels on the Bus
The wheels on the bus go round and round (roll hands)
Round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town
Other verses:
The people on the bus go up and down (stand up, sit down)
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep (press one hand to palm of other hand)
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish (hold arms up and swish back and forth)
The babies on the bus say wah, wah, wah (rub hands to eyes)
The mommies/daddies on the bus say Sh, Sh, Sh (use finger to lips)
The money on the bus goes clink, clink, clink (hold one hand down with palm turned up; drop other hand down, as though dropping coins)
The driver on the bus says "move on back" (hold thumb up, hand in fist; point thumb back over shoulder)
Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Five green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs (or use "lunch") -- yum, yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there was only one green speckled frog
Five Little Ducks
Five little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mama duck said, "Quack, quack, quack"
But only four little ducks came back
Four little ducks went out one day...
(count down with each verse)
[Last verse]
One little duck went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mama duck said "Quack, quack quack"
And all five little ducks came back"
- improved listening skills and auditory attention since songs have rich and varied melody, pitch, rhythm, etc.
- heightened social interaction; lots of eye contact and interest in people
- increased participation and imitation skills
- improved memory for multi-word combinations and knowledge of how to combine words for oneself
It's important to have fun with songs and to be an animated entertainer. When we make this a fun time for us and children, they will learn and participate the most. While listening to children's CDs or watching videos online may also contribute to children's musical learning, the benefits are much more limited. Children miss out on the variability that a real song has, compared with one that is recorded and is the same every time; their attention tends to diminish. When used to pre-recorded music, some children become upset with real-life music as the unexpected can disturb their sense of security. And most importantly, CDs and screens mean that children are not watching your face (your eyes and your mouth) while you are singing and lack a rich social interaction.
Some of my favourite songs are listed below. Most have lots of actions; these help children learn gestures and make the words easier to learn and remember too. I like to practice familiar songs and also add new ones. I organized the list from some of the earliest songs I use to some later, more complex ones.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
(hold your child's hands and rock back and forth)
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
Roly Poly
Roly poly, roly poly (roll hands, as in Wheels on the Bus song)
Up, up, up (lift hands up higher with each "up"); up, up, up (repeat lifting hands up each time)
Roly roly poly, roly roly poly (roll hands)
Down, down, down; down, down, down (lower hands further with each "down"; repeat)
Roly poly, roly poly (roll hands)
Out, out, out; out, out, out (move hands out more with each "out"; repeat)
Roly roly poly, roly roly poly (roll hands)
In, in, in; in, in, in (move hands together with each "in"; repeat)
Next verses
-- fast, fast, fast (roll hands and sing fast) and slow, slow, slow (roll hands and sing slowly)
-- loud, loud, loud (cup hands and yell "loud") and "sh, sh, sh" (finger to lips for "sh")
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Twinkle, twinkle, little star; how I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high; like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle, little star; how I wonder what you are
The Eensy Weensy Spider
The eensy, weensy spider climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the eensy, weensy spider climbed up the spout again
Head and Shoulders
(touch the body part as you sing each one)
Head and shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes, knees and toes
Head and shoulders, knees and toes
Eyes, ears, mouth and nose
If You're Happy and You Know It
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If you're happy and you know it, and you really want to show it
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap, clap)
More verses:
If you're mad and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp, stomp)
If you're sad and you know it, cry boo-hoo -- "boo-hoo" (while rubbing hands in front of eyes)
If you're excited and you know it, shout hurray -- "hurray!" (while raising hands up high)
You can also make up other verses, such as "if you're hungry, eat some food -- yum-yum!" while you pretend to eat; "if you're dirty, wash your hands -- wash-wash" while rubbing hands; "if you're tired, go to sleep" then pretend to sleep and snore.
Old MacDonald
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O
With a moo-moo here, and a moo-moo there
Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo-moo
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
Other verses:
horse (neigh), chicken (bok-bok), pig (oink), sheep (baa); you can also do dog (woof), cat (meow), goat (maa)
The Wheels on the Bus
The wheels on the bus go round and round (roll hands)
Round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town
Other verses:
The people on the bus go up and down (stand up, sit down)
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep (press one hand to palm of other hand)
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish (hold arms up and swish back and forth)
The babies on the bus say wah, wah, wah (rub hands to eyes)
The mommies/daddies on the bus say Sh, Sh, Sh (use finger to lips)
The money on the bus goes clink, clink, clink (hold one hand down with palm turned up; drop other hand down, as though dropping coins)
The driver on the bus says "move on back" (hold thumb up, hand in fist; point thumb back over shoulder)
Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Five green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs (or use "lunch") -- yum, yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there was only one green speckled frog
Five Little Ducks
Five little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mama duck said, "Quack, quack, quack"
But only four little ducks came back
Four little ducks went out one day...
(count down with each verse)
[Last verse]
One little duck went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mama duck said "Quack, quack quack"
And all five little ducks came back"