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Tips

wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Concept of size Song: “Eentsy Weentsy Spider” (Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals, Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• After singing the song about the eentsy weentsy spider with a normal voice and motions, sing the same song about a great big spider. Sing with a big voice and make all of the motions large and exaggerated (big spider, big rain, big sun...).
• Next, sing about an itsy bitsy spider and make your voice high and tiny. Also make the motions tiny (tiny spider, tiny rain, tiny sun...).
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Concept of size Song: “Eentsy Weentsy Spider” (Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals, Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• After the class sings the song about the eentsy weentsy spider with a normal voice and motions, have the class sing the same song about a great big spider. Sing with a big voice and make all of the motions large and exaggerated (big spider, big rain, big sun...).
• Next, sing about an itsy bitsy spider and make your voice high and tiny. Also make the motions tiny (tiny spider, tiny rain, tiny sun...).
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/4
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Telling time and recognizing special times of the day Song: “Round the Clock” to the tune “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• Use a toy clock or manual alarm clock.
• Choose the times of day you want to sing about (snack time, bed time,...).
• Chant or sing these words while turning the hands of the clock.
    Round the clock the hours go,
    Sometimes fast and sometimes slow,
    Tell me what the two hands say,
    They will tell the time of day, (pause while child figures out the time)
    It’s 8:00 and time for bed,
    Come with me you sleepy head. (make up your own last phrase)
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Telling time and recognizing special times of the day Song: “Round the Clock” to the tune “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• Use a toy clock or manual alarm clock.
• Choose the times of day you want to sing about (snack time, circle time,...).
• Chant or sing these words while turning the hands of the clock.
    Round the clock the hours go,
    Sometimes fast and sometimes slow,
    Tell me what the two hands say,
    They will tell the time of day, (pause as class figures out the time)
    It’s 10:00 and time to eat,
    Let’s sit down and have a treat. (make up your own last phrase)
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/5
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: A good way for a child to learn how to spell his/her own name Song: "Bingo" (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• Substitute mommy or daddy for "farmer." Substitute boy or girl for "dog."
• Instead of "Bingo," substitute your child's name and spell it in rhythm. Any amount of letters can fit into this four-beat rhythmic pattern.
    There was a mommy had a boy
    And Cameron was his name-o.
    CA-ME-RO-N,
    CA-ME-RO-N,
    CA-ME-RO-N,
    And Cameron was his name-o.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Letter recognition and spelling using the names of children in the class Song: "Bingo" (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• Ask a child what his/her favorite animal is. Substitute that animal for the word "dog" in the song.
• Instead of "Bingo," substitute the child's name and spell it in rhythm. Any amount of letters can fit into this four-beat rhythmic pattern.
    There was a farmer had a horse
    And Jennifer was its name-o.
    JE-NN-IF-ER,
    JE-NN-IF-ER,
    JE-NN-IF-ER,
    And Jennifer was its name-o.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/1
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Reinforcing the concept of subtraction Song: "Ten in a Bed" (Wee Sing Silly Songs, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• Line up 10 stuffed animals on a bed or bench.
• As the song is sung, act it out with the stuffed animals.
• Each time "one falls out," count the remaining animals and start again.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Reinforcing the concept of subtraction Song: "Ten in a Bed" (Wee Sing Silly Songs, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• Choose 10 children to line up facing the class.
• Number the children from 1 to 10 (if desired, they can each hold a card with their number written on it).
• As the song is sung, the 10 children turn around on “So they all rolled over.”
• Child #10 sits down in place on “and one fell out”.
• This continues until all are sitting except child #1. On “Goodnight,” he rests his head on his hands as if sleeping.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/2
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Reinforcing the concept of right and left Song: Songs/Fingerplay: "Right Hand, Left Hand," "Looby Loo," "Jimmy Crack Corn" (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays) "Hokey, Pokey," "Jimmy Crack Corn," "Old Brass Wagon" (Wee Sing and Play) "Looby Loo," "Hokey Pokey" (Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• Put a fun sticker or stamp on the back of your child's right hand. This helps him/her know immediately which is right and left.
• The above songs/fingerplay, whether done with the audio or without, are good for practicing the difference between right and left. They can be done just as easily with a child and parent as well as with a group of children.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Reinforcing the concept of right and left Song: Songs/Fingerplay: "Right Hand, Left Hand," "Looby Loo," "Jimmy Crack Corn" (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays) "Hokey, Pokey," "Jimmy Crack Corn," "Old Brass Wagon" (Wee Sing and Play) "Looby Loo," "Hokey Pokey" (Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• Put a fun sticker or stamp on the back of each child's right hand. This helps them know immediately which is right and left.
• The above songs/fingerplay, whether done with the audio or without, are good for practicing the difference between right and left.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/3
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Identifying different parts of the body Song: "Little Peter Rabbit" (Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals, Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• With babies or toddlers, a parent can sing and do the motions for the first verse of the song while the child watches.
• After the words "and he flicked it 'til it flew away," the parent keeps moving his/her fingers (the fly) and makes them land on another part of the child's body (e.g. head, knee, ankle, nose, elbow...).
• The parent (and the child if old enough) sings the song again and does the motions using the word for the new body part (e.g. "Little Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his head").
• Continue, having the "fly" land on different parts of the child for as long as the child's attention span holds.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Identifying different parts of the body Song: "Little Peter Rabbit" (Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals, Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• The class sings the song and does the motions suggested for the first verse of the song.
• After the words "and he flicked it 'til it flew away," the class stops and the teacher keeps moving his/her fingers (the fly) and makes them land on another part of any child's body (e.g. head, knee, ankle, nose, elbow...).
• The class sings the song again and does the motions using the word for the new body part (e.g. "Little Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his head").
• Continue for as long as the attention span holds, or until the fly has landed somewhere on each child in the class.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/6
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Learning the days of the week Song: "Days of the Week" (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• The rhythm and the melody of the song make it easy to memorize the days of the week.
• Point to the days on the calendar while singing the song.
• Clap once when you sing the name of the current day.
• If something special will be happening on a particular day, discuss it and then clap once when you sing the name of that day in the song.
• To further help in memorization, walk in rhythm with your child while singing the song.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Learning the days of the week Song: "Days of the Week" (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• The rhythm and the melody of the song make it easy to memorize the days of the week.
• Point to the days on the calendar while singing the song.
• Clap once when you sing the name of the current day.
• If something special will be happening on a particular day, discuss it and then clap once when you sing the name of that day in the song.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/7
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Creating a mood through music Song: Creating a mood through music
• From a very young age, children respond to music. Watch their reactions as they respond to different musical styles.
• When you want to create a quiet, relaxed mood just before nap or bed time, put on a lullaby CD/cassette or other easy listening music.
• Expose your child to a variety of musical styles by turning on the radio and dancing or moving to the music on a particular station. Every few minutes, change the station and move to that music.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Creating a mood through music Song: Creating a mood through music
• Experiment with listening to a variety of musical styles, played as background music, to create a desired mood for different situations (e.g. quiet time, playtime...).
• For art time, choose a particular style of music and see if it affects the types of drawings done by the children (quiet music vs. more upbeat).
• For a free movement exercise, experiment with different styles of music and see how the children respond.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/8
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Make a walk more interesting Song: “Walking, Walking” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• When on a hike or just walking around the neighborhood, if your child is tired and wants you to carry him/her, try this: To the tune of "Are You Sleeping" sing and follow the actions of the words,
    Walking, walking, walking, walking,
    Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, hop,
    Running, running, running, running, running, running,
    Now let's stop, now let's stop.

• Continue for as long as it holds the child's attention.

wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Transition time Song: “Walking, Walking” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• When out on the playground and it's time to come in, instead of blowing a whistle or yelling, try this: To the tune of "Are You Sleeping" sing and follow the actions of the words,
    Walking, walking, walking, walking,
    Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, hop,
    Running, running, running, running, running, running,
    Now let's stop, now let's stop.

• Continue singing and doing the actions until all children are in line and ready to walk into the classroom.

Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/9
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Ball handling and rhythm skills Song: "Roll That Red Ball" (Wee Sing and Play)
• Sit on the floor, across from your child, with a medium to large size ball.
• As you sing the song, roll the ball to each other on the first word of each measure ("Roll"). This emphasizes the strong beat and will help the child feel the rhythm.
• This easy game can be played using a familiar nursery rhyme or any simple song.
• The point is to get children used to handling a ball in a controlled manner and following a particular rhythm.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Ball handling, listening, and rhythm skills Song: tambourine (or any instrument that can make two distinctly different sounds).
• Children sit in a circle with one child holding a ball.
• The teacher taps a steady beat on the tambourine and children pass the ball around the circle to the beat.
• Once the children are following the beat as they pass the ball, the teacher can speed the beat up or slow it down. Children pass the ball accordingly.
• When following the beat of the tambourine has been mastered, the teacher can then shake the tambourine to signify passing the ball in the opposite direction.
• Children continue passing the ball to the beat and listening carefully for tempo changes as well as the sound of the shaking to switch directions.
• For an added challenge, try this game listening to the song "Pass the Ball" (Wee Sing Games, Games, Games).
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/10
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Passing the time while riding in the car Song: Keep a collection of your child's favorite sing-along CDs or tapes in the car. Or, without a CD, sing some old favorites from your own childhood.
• Singing together creates a special bond.
• Singing from your past helps keep tradition alive.
• Singing together with or without a CD or tape makes the miles go by more quickly.
• Children are just having fun, but many skills are being developed such as language, listening, rhythm, memory, concentration, coordination....
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Passing the time while riding in a car or bus for a field trip Song: Choose any songs that you feel confident in singing and that the children enjoy.
• Plan what songs to sing ahead of time so you feel confident and prepared.
• Start singing when the trip gets long or the children get restless.
• The miles will pass by quickly and the experience will be joyful.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/11
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Exploring different emotions Song: “If You’re Happy” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• Discuss different emotions and how they can be expressed with your child.
• Sing “If You’re Happy,” substituting other emotions and actions for “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands” (e.g. sad, cry a tear; mad, stomp your foot; excited, jump up and down; tired, go to sleep...).
• Also discuss appropriate expressions of emotions for various situations.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Exploring different emotions Song: “If You’re Happy” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• Discuss different emotions and how they can be expressed with the class.
• Sing “If You’re Happy,” substituting other emotions and actions for “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands” (e.g. sad, cry a tear; mad, stomp your foot; excited, jump up and down; tired, go to sleep...).
• Also discuss appropriate expressions of emotions for various situations.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/12
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Getting your child’s attention Song: Four beat rhythm patterns
• Clap a short rhythm pattern that your child must echo.
• Continue until you have his/her attention.
• The easiest patterns are in beats of four, such as:
    X     X    X    X
    X    XX   X    X
    XX  XX   X    X
    X     X   XX   X
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Getting the classroom’s attention Song: Four beat rhythm patterns
• Clap a short rhythm pattern that the class must echo.
• Continue until you have the attention of the class.
• The easiest patterns are in beats of four, such as:
    X     X    X    X
    X    XX   X    X
    XX  XX   X    X
    X     X   XX   X
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/13
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Making cleanup time more fun Song: “Mulberry Bush” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• When it’s time to pick up toys, the parent starts by singing:
    This is the way we pick up our toys,
    Pick up our toys, pick up our toys,
    This is the way we pick up our toys
    And put them all away.

• The children will join in and follow by example.
• Change the words to fit the items to be cleaned up (e.g. clothes, dishes..).

wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Making cleanup time more fun Song: “Mulberry Bush” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• When it’s time to clean up after an activity, the teacher starts picking up and singing:
    This is the way we pick up our toys,
    Pick up our toys, pick up our toys,
    This is the way we pick up our toys
    And put them all away.

• The children will join in and follow by example.
• Change the words to fit the cleanup activity.

Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/14
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Thinking and rhyming skills
• While riding in the car, choose any easy word to rhyme (e.g. cat, dog, eat...)
• Have your child think of a word that rhymes with that word.
• Take turns rhyming the word until you or your child can’t think of any more.
• Start with a new word to rhyme.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Thinking and rhyming skills
• During circle time, choose an easy word to rhyme (e.g. cat, dog, eat...).
• Go around the circle and have the children think of words that rhyme with that word.
• When they can’t think of any more words to rhyme with the first word, start again with another word.
• Continue until all children have had a chance to rhyme a word.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/15
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Fun with rhythm instruments Song: “Old MacDonald” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays, Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• Use homemade rhythm instruments (pots and pans for drums, wooden or metal spoons for mallets and sticks…) or real rhythm instruments.
• Decide what words best describe the sounds of your child’s instrument (e.g. “boom, boom” for drums, “rattle, rattle” for maracas, “click,click” for sticks, “ring, ring” for bells, “clang, clang” for a metal spoon on a pot…).
• Sing the following words to “Old MacDonald” while your child plays the rhythm instrument throughout the entire verse. Substitute the name of your child’s instrument and its sound for the words in parentheses. Old MacDonald had a band,
    E-I-E-I-O,
    And in this band, he had a drum,
    E-I-E-I-O,
    With a “boom, boom” here, and a “boom, boom” there,
    Here a “boom,” there a “boom,” everywhere a “boom, boom,”
    Old MacDonald had a band,
    E-I-E-I-O.

• For the next verses, sing about other instruments you may have available (e.g. wooden or metal spoons make good rhythm sticks). …And in this band he had some sticks, E-I-E-I-O, With a “click, click” here…
• Others in the family can join in the band and play their instruments for more verses.

wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Fun with rhythm instruments Song: “Old MacDonald” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays, Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• Each child chooses a rhythm instrument.
• Have the children sit in groups according to their instruments (sticks together, drums together, maracas and other shakers together, bells…).
• Decide what words best describe the sounds of the different instruments (e.g. “boom, boom” for drums, “rattle, rattle” for maracas, “click, click” for sticks, “ring, ring” for bells,…).
• Sing the following words to “Old MacDonald” while all play their instruments. Where the X’s are written, children sing the sound of their own instrument.
    Old MacDonald had a band,
    E-I-E-I-O,
    And in this band, he had some instruments,
    E-I-E-I-O,
    With a “XX” here, and “XX” there,
    Here a “X,” there a “X,” everywhere a “XX,”
    Old MacDonald had a band,
    E-I-E-I-O.

• For the next verses, have individual groups of instruments featured (…And in this band he had some sticks, E-I-E-I-O. With a “click, click” here, and a “click, click” there…) while just members of that group play their instruments.
• Each time a new instrument is featured, go back and play the previous instruments in the same format as when singing the original Old MacDonald.
• When all instruments have been featured, end with everyone playing together and singing the last two lines of the verse above.

Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/16
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Listening, memory and response Song: Use any children’s songs that are familiar to you and your child (e.g. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” “If You’re Happy,” “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain,”…).
• Try this in the car. It can be fun for the whole family.
• Hum or “la, la…” the tune until your child guesses the name of the song correctly.
• Encourage your child to hum or “la, la…” a tune for you to guess.
• Take turns with everyone in the car and the miles will fly by.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Listening, memory and response Song: Use any children’s songs that are familiar to the class (e.g. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” “If You’re Happy,” “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain,”…).
• Hum or “la, la…” the tune until someone guesses the name of the song correctly.
• Continue as long as class attention span allows.
• Encourage children to take turns humming tunes for the class to guess.
• For older children, this game can be fun with the class divided into two teams. The team with the most correct guesses wins the game.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/17
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Learning colors, patterns, styles Song: “What Are You Wearing?” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• For teaching about different colors your child is wearing, use the following words to the above tune. Use your child’s name.
    Kathy’s wearing a blue dress,
    Blue dress, blue dress,
    Kathy’s wearing a blue dress
    All day long.

• Substitute different colors for whatever else the child is wearing (e.g. yellow ribbon, red socks, white shoes…)
• Also sing about patterns such as stripes, polka dots, flowers, plaid, checkered…(Jimmy’s wearing a striped shirt, …).

wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Learning colors, patterns, styles Song: “What Are You Wearing?” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• For learning about different colors the children are wearing, use the following words to the above tune:
    If you are wearing blue today,
    Blue today, blue today,
    If you are wearing blue today,
    Please stand up.

• Substitute other colors that the children are wearing so that all have a chance to stand up.
• For learning about different patterns, use the following words:

    If you are wearing stripes today,
    Stripes today, stripes today,
    If you are wearing stripes today,
    Please stand up.

• Substitute other patterns that the children are wearing (e.g. polka dots, plaid, …) so that all have a chance to stand up.
• For learning about different articles of clothing the children are wearing, use the following words:

    If you are wearing jeans today,
    Jeans today, jeans today,
    If you are wearing jeans today,
    Please stand up.

• Substitute other styles that the children are wearing (e.g. tennis shoes, a skirt, cords, a sweater …) so that all have a chance to stand up.
• This is a good song to feature a birthday child by singing about what he/she is wearing on his/her birthday. Use the child’s name (Tommy’s wearing…)

Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/18
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Memory and thinking skills Song: Wee Sing Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies or other nursery rhyme collections
• After your child has learned many nursery rhymes, play a memory game with him/her by leaving out words that he/she must say to complete the thought. Choose rhymes that your child would know best. Here are some examples:
    Little Bo Peep has lost her ?
    Little Boy Blue, come blow your ?
    Jack and Jill went up the ?
    Little Miss Muffet sat on her ?

• Then make the thought process a little more difficult. Instead of saying the rhyme exactly, form the thought differently. Here are some examples:

    When Little Boy Blue fell asleep, what animals were in the meadow?
    Where did Little Boy Blue fall asleep?
    What couldn’t Jack Sprat eat?
    What kind of pie did Little Jack Horner eat?
    Who picked pickled peppers?

• These games are fun to play in the car, at parties, or for a baby shower.

wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Memory and thinking skills Song: Wee Sing Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies or other nursery rhyme collections
• After children have learned many nursery rhymes, play a memory game with them by leaving out words that they must say to complete the thought. Choose rhymes that the children would know best. Here are some examples:
    Little Bo Peep has lost her ?
    Little Boy Blue, come blow your ?
    Jack and Jill went up the ?
    Little Miss Muffet sat on her ?

• Then make the thought process a little more difficult. Instead of saying the rhyme exactly, form the thought differently. Here are some examples:

    When Little Boy Blue fell asleep, what animals were in the meadow?
    Where did Little Boy Blue fall asleep?
    What couldn’t Jack Sprat eat?
    What kind of pie did Little Jack Horner eat?
    Who picked pickled peppers?
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/19
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Creative thinking Song: “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” (Wee Sing Silly Songs, Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals)
• After learning the song, talk about what a bear might see on the other side of the mountain (e.g. a little tiny chipmunk, a long and roaring river, some trees and wild flowers). Sing your child’s new words for the second verse.
• Make up new words about someone else going somewhere. Examples:
    My uncle went to the ocean… (some great big whales and dolphins…, lots of sand and sea shells…, etc.). My family went to the circus… (lions and tigers and elephants…, clowns with big, red noses…, etc.).

• Have your child draw some pictures about the new verses he/she made up for this song.

wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Creative thinking Song: “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” (Wee Sing Silly Songs, Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals)
• After learning the song, talk about what a bear might see on the other side of the mountain (e.g. a little tiny chipmunk, a long and roaring river, some trees and wild flowers). Sing the new words for the second verse.
• Make up new words about someone else going somewhere. Examples:
    My uncle went to the ocean… (some great big whales and dolphins…, lots of sand and sea shells…, etc.). My family went to the circus… (lions and tigers and elephants…, clowns with big, red noses…, etc.).

• Have the class draw some pictures about the new verses they made up for this song.

Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/20
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Learning about musical instruments Song: “The Finger Band” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• Children at a very young age are usually exposed in some way to musical instruments. They are curious about the sounds they make and how they are played.
• Find some pictures of individual instruments to share with your child or take them to hear a real band or orchestra.
• Discuss how different instruments are held and what sounds they make.
• “The Finger Band” (tune: “Mulberry Bush”) is a fun and easy song for children to sing as they pretend to play various instruments and hold them correctly.
• For fun, share the book and tape Wee Sing and Learn ABC with the class. It has full color pictures of animals playing a variety of instruments. The instruments are being held in the correct playing positions and the real sounds of the instruments can be heard on the accompanying audio.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Learning about musical instruments Song: “The Finger Band” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• Children at a very young age are usually exposed in some way to musical instruments. They are curious about the sounds they make and how they are played.
• Find some pictures of individual instruments to share with the class.
• Discuss how different instruments are held and what sounds they make.
• “The Finger Band” (tune: “Mulberry Bush”) is a fun and easy song for children to sing as they pretend to play various instruments and hold them correctly.
• For fun, share the book and tape Wee Sing and Learn ABC with the class. It has full color pictures of animals playing a variety of instruments. The instruments are being held in the correct playing positions and the real sounds of the instruments can be heard on the accompanying audio.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/21
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Understanding our bodies and how they work Song: “Dry Bones” (Wee Sing Silly Songs, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing) “Bones” (Wee Sing and Pretend)
• For a very young child, a parent can point to the child’s bones as they are sung about in the song. During the chorus, both parent and child can pretend to move “loosely” like skeletons.
• Older children can point to the bones of their own bodies as they are mentioned in the song (or, if you have a picture of a real skeleton, have your child point to the various bones as the song is sung). During the chorus, walk “loosely” like a skeleton.
• This is also fun to do around Halloween.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Understanding our bodies and how they work Song: “Dry Bones” (Wee Sing Silly Songs, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing) “Bones” (Wee Sing and Pretend)
• Play the song and have children point to the bones of their own bodies as they are mentioned in the song ( or, if you have a picture of a real skeleton, have the children point to the various bones as the song is sung). During the chorus, have the children walk and dance “loosely” like skeletons.
• This is also fun to do around Halloween.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/22
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Memory and concentration skills Song: Cumulative songs, such as Old McDonald and John Brown's Baby (from a variety of Wee Sing books)
• Go to the search page of this website and find “search by category.”
• Scroll down and click on “cumulative songs” to find a list of fun songs to challenge anyone’s memory and concentration.
• Sing along with your children. As their memory and concentration skills are being developed, the children think they are just having fun.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Memory and concentration skills Song: Cumulative songs, such as Old McDonald and John Brown's Baby (from a variety of Wee Sing books)
• Go to the search page of this website and find “search by category.”
• Scroll down and click on “cumulative songs” to find a list of fun songs to challenge anyone’s memory and concentration.
• Sing along with the class. As their memory and concentration skills are being developed, the children think they are just having fun.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/23
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Rhythm and imagination Song: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” (Wee Sing Sing-Alongs, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• This activity works best if the song is sung without a CD or tape.
• Sit on the floor cross legged facing your child.
• Join hands and rock back and forth to the rhythm while singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” at a tempo suggested by the story you are telling. The “rowing” will get faster or slower according to the story.
• Make up a simple story while “rowing” with your child.
The following is an example:
    “It’s a beautiful day and we are rowing our boats while enjoying the warm sunshine. This is so relaxing! Oh, dear! What’s that I see in the water behind us? It’s getting closer…maybe we should row a little bit faster. (Sing the song at a little faster tempo and row the boats accordingly.)… Maybe it’s a CROCODILE!! (Sing and row faster)… Look again!… Whew! It’s just a beaver. We can slow down now…

• Keep rowing and let your child help make up the story.

wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Rhythm and imagination Song: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” (Wee Sing Sing-Alongs, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• This activity works best if the song is sung without a CD or tape.
• Children sit cross legged on the floor facing a partner.
• Partners join hands and rock back and forth to the rhythm while singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” at a tempo suggested by the story the teacher is telling. The “rowing” will get faster or slower according to the story.
• The teacher makes up a simple story while the children are “rowing.”
The following is an example:
    “It’s a beautiful day and we are rowing our boats while enjoying the warm sunshine. This is so relaxing! Oh, dear! What’s that I see in the water behind us? It’s getting closer…maybe we should row a little bit faster. (Sing the song at a little faster tempo and row the boats accordingly.)… Maybe it’s a CROCODILE!! (Sing and row faster)… Look again!… Whew! It’s just a beaver. We can slow down now…

• Keep the story going for as long as you want. Let the children help make up the story.

Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/24
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Rhyming fun Song: “Down by the Bay” (Wee Sing Silly Songs, Wee Sing in the Car, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• After learning the song, you and your child can continue by making up your own verses. For example:
    Did you ever see a frog walking a dog?
    Did you ever see a hog sitting on a log?
    Did you ever see a mouse painting a house?
    Did you ever see a cat wearing a hat?...

• This rhyming exercise helps pass the time while riding in the car.
• Have your child draw some of the verses you made up.

wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Rhyming fun Song: “Down by the Bay” (Wee Sing Silly Songs, Wee Sing in the Car, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• After learning the song, continue by having the children make up additional verses. For example:
    Did you ever see a frog walking a dog?
    Did you ever see a hog sitting on a log?
    Did you ever see a mouse painting a house?
    Did you ever see a cat wearing a hat?...

• Children’s imaginations are wonderful and it’s fun to see how many different verses they can create.
• Turn this exercise into an art project and have children draw and color their favorite verse. Hang them in the front of the room and sing the song using the verses that have been illustrated.

Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/25
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Basic body movements (walk, run, hop, jump, tip-toe, skip, march, slide) Song: “Ring Around the Rosy” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• Each time you “ring around the rosy,” try a different movement (e.g. hop around the rosy, tiptoe round the rosy, run around the rosy, ...)
• The more you do such activities with your child at home, the more confident he/she will be when it’s time to go to school. Studies have shown that children who enter school having mastered a variety of physical movements, feel better about themselves and therefore are better learners.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Basic body movements (walk, run, hop, jump, tip-toe, skip, march, slide) Song: “Ring Around the Rosy” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays, Wee Sing The Best of Wee Sing)
• Each time you “ring around the rosy” try a different movement (e.g. hop around the rosy, tip-toe round the rosy, run around the rosy, ...)
• Children feel so much better about themselves when they can master different physical movements.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/26
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Learning name and address Song: “Rain, Rain, Go Away” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• The rhythm and melody of the song help reinforce the learning of this important concept.
• Children should know that their address is where they live because sometimes they will be asked, “Where do you live?” instead of, “What is your address?”
• Sing the following words to the tune “Rain, Rain, Go Away.”
My name is
_________ __________,
(first name)   (last name)

This is where I live, (or, This is my address,)
_______ __________,
(number)    (street)
______________, _____________.
(city)                      (state)

When your child can sing his/her name and address, encourage sharing what he/she has learned for the rest of the family.

wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Learning name and address Song: “Rain, Rain, Go Away” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• The rhythm and melody of the song help reinforce the learning of this important concept.
• Children should know that their address is where they live because sometimes they will be asked, “Where do you live?” instead of, “What is your address?”
• Sing the following words to the tune “Rain, Rain, Go Away.”
My name is
_________ __________,
(first name)   (last name)

This is where I live, (or, This is my address,)
_______ __________,
(number)    (street)
______________, _____________.
(city)                      (state)

• Encourage parents to practice this at home with their child. When the child knows his/her name and address, he can recite or sing it for the class.

Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/27
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: The special bond created by singing together Song: Choose any song that you as a parent feel confident in singing without the aid of a CD or cassette
• CDs/cassettes should be used as a way to learn the songs well enough to feel confident in singing them alone. They are also useful for game-type songs that are longer and harder for a parent to take the time to learn well enough to do alone (e.g. cumulative songs, circle games and dances).
• Many busy parents don’t feel like singing all the time, or don’t have the confidence in their singing ability. To be able to use a CD or cassette in the car or at other “needed” times is a great convenience.
• The benefits of teaching a song by yourself and singing it along with your child are many:
    1. You can sing at a tempo easier for young children to sing along.
    2. You can stop at any time and repeat phrases or actions.
    3. The children’s attention is focused on you.
    4. The spirit created by singing together is special.

• Remember that children aren’t focused on how good or bad your voice may be; they are more interested in sharing a fun time with you.

wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: The special bond created by singing together Song: Choose any song that you as a teacher feel confident in singing without the aid of a CD or cassette
• CDs/cassettes should be used as a way to learn the songs well enough to feel confident in singing them alone. They are also useful for game-type songs that are longer and harder for a teacher to take the time to learn well enough to do alone (e.g. cumulative songs, circle games and dances).
• The benefits of teaching a song by yourself and singing it along with your class are many:
    1. You can sing at a tempo easier for young children to sing along.
    2. You can stop at any time and repeat phrases or actions.
    3. The children’s attention is focused on you.
    4. The spirit created by singing together is special.

• Young children aren’t focused on how good or bad your voice may be they are more interested in just having fun with you.

Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/28
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Counting, addition and subtraction Song: “Ten Little Fingers” to the tune “Ten Little Indians” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• Sing and count to ten on your fingers while your child sings and counts along on his/hers.
• The visual of watching their fingers, along with hearing the numbers, experiencing the melody, and feeling the rhythm, make learning to count easier and more enjoyable.
• After mastering counting to ten, try counting backwards to one using the same song.
• Try counting other things (e.g. rocks, marbles, macaroni shells…) using the same song and counting forwards and backwards.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Counting, addition and subtraction Song: “Ten Little Fingers” to the tune “Ten Little Indians” (Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• Sing and count to ten on your fingers while the children sing and count along on theirs.
• The visual of watching their fingers, along with hearing the numbers, experiencing the melody, and feeling the rhythm, make learning to count easier and more enjoyable.
• After mastering counting to ten, try counting backwards to one using the same song.
• Try counting other things (e.g. rocks, marbles, macaroni shells…) using the same song and counting forwards and backwards.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/29
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Instilling rhythm at a young age Song: Any that are familiar and comfortable (Wee Sing and Play, Wee Sing Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies, Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• A good sense of rhythm aids in reading skills, athletic skills, music skills, and other skills requiring coordination.
•Ball bouncing, clapping games and jump roping are excellent for developing a sense of rhythm which will be beneficial throughout life.
•Wee Sing and Play has many rhymes specifically suited for these activities, but any familiar rhyme (e.g. nursery rhymes) or song will work.
•Younger children (preschoolers) are usually not ready for jump roping, but can master simple ball bouncing and clapping exercises.
•Older children (K-4) will enjoy the challenge of these games and feel a sense of accomplishment and self confidence when they are mastered.
•It’s never too late to begin helping your child feel rhythm. The earlier you begin, the easier it is as the child gets older.
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Instilling rhythm at a young age Song: Any that are familiar and comfortable (Wee Sing and Play, Wee Sing Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies, Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays)
• A good sense of rhythm aids in reading skills, athletic skills, music skills, and other skills requiring coordination.
•Ball bouncing, clapping games and jump roping are excellent for developing a sense of rhythm which will be beneficial throughout life.
•Wee Sing and Play has many rhymes specifically suited for these activities, but any familiar rhyme (e.g. nursery rhymes) or song will work.
•Younger children (preschoolers) are usually not ready for jump roping, but can master simple ball bouncing and clapping exercises.
•Older children (K-4) will enjoy the challenge of these games and feel a sense of accomplishment and self confidence when they are mastered.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/30
wee sing note purpleParent Tip: Listening, memory and response Song: any
I'm a new granny to Ella, 7 months old. When singing to her, we give her a chance to anticipate punch lines in songs by pausing a few seconds before we sing that line. Now she knows what's coming and smiles every time without missing her favorite parts!
---tip from LIN in Texas
wee sing note greenTeacher Tip: Listening, memory and response Song: Wee Sing Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies or other nursery rhyme collections
• Hum or “la, la…” the tune until someone guesses the name of the song correctly.
• Continue as long as class attention span allows.
• Encourage children to take turns humming tunes for the class to guess.
• For older children, this game can be fun with the class divided into two teams. The team with the most correct guesses wins the game.
Link to these tips:
http://weesing.com/t/31
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