November 2015
THE FARMER IN THE DELL
(Nursery Rhymes and Good Old Times CD)
The farmer in the dell, (Class holds hands and forms a circle.
The farmer in the dell, One child is chosen to be the “farmer”
Heigh – ho – the derry-o, and stand in the middle.)
The farmer in the dell.
The farmer takes a wife… (“Farmer” chooses a “wife” to stand in middle.)
The wife takes a child… (“Wife” chooses a “child” to stand in the middle.)
The child takes a nurse… (“Child” chooses a “nurse” to stand in the middle.)
The nurse takes a dog… (“Nurse” chooses a “dog” to stand in the middle.)
The dog takes a cat… (“Dog” chooses a “cat.”)
The cat takes a rat… (“Cat” chooses a “rat.”)
The rat takes the cheese… (“Rat” chooses the “cheese.”)
The cheese stands alone… (“Cheese” stays in the middle while the others get
back in the circle. The “cheese” becomes the
new “farmer” and the game continues.)
Activities:
To reinforce print knowledge make nametags for the different characters in the song. Call children’s attention to the letters and sounds in each word. Let children wear the nametags and join the song at the appropriate time.
Cut paper into 6” squares and ask each child to draw a
character from the song. Label their pictures. Lay the pictures in sequential order on a table and tape together. Fold back and forth to make an accordion book.
BINGO
(Nursery Rhymes and Good Old Times CD)
There was a farmer had a dog
And Bingo was his name-O.
B - I – N – G – O,
B – I – N – G – O.
B – I – N – G – O.
And Bingo was his name-O.
As you continue to sing the song, omit a letter and clap instead until you are clapping the whole word.
Activities:
This is a perfect song to reinforce the concept of letters and words. Explain that “Bingo” is the dog’s name. Write it on the board and count the letters. Sweep your hand from left to right under the letters as you say, “Let’s put the letters together and read the word.”
Make paper plate letter puppets for the children to hold as you sing. Take two paper plates and staple 2/3 of the way around. Print a different letter (B, i, n, g, o) on the front and draw a hand on the back. Children insert 
their hands in the slit and stand from left to right to spell the word “Bingo.” At the appropriate time in the song, each child will turn their letter over to reveal a hand. This will reinforce tracking from left to right, as well as letter recognition.
Insert children’s names in the song as you sing:
There is a friend that you all know and Jake is his name-o.
J – A –K – E. J – A – K – E.
J – A – K – E.
And Jake is his name – o.
Hint! If children have a very long name, then just use a nickname or the first five letters.
Use the tune to help children learn their zip code:
There is a zip code where I live and I know my zip code.
3 – 6 – 2 – 9 – 4…
Show More...
THE WHEELS ON THE BUS
(Nursery Rhymes and Good Old Times CD)
The wheels on the bus (Move hands in circular motion.)
Go round and round,
Round and round,
Round and round.
The wheels on the bus
Go round and round,
All around the town.
Wipers – swish, swish, swish… (Palms up and move back and forth.)
Horn – beep, beep, beep… (Pretend to beep horn.)
Lights – blink, blink, blink… (Open and close fists.)
Doors – open and shut… (Palms together, then spread apart.)
Driver on the bus…”Move on back”… (Stick up thumb.)
Children on the bus – bounce up and down…(Bounce up and down.)
Activities:
Have children line up behind each other and pretend to be on a bus as they walk around the room and sing. 
Let children suggest other people on the bus and what they would do. For example,
“The babies on the bus go waa, waa, waa,” or “The teacher on the bus goes shh, shh, shh!”
Make a graph of the different ways children come to school. Use picture clues, such as a bus, car, bike, and shoes (walk).
Hold up alphabet letters as you sing:
The “d” on the bus goes /d/ /d/ /d/
/d/ /d/ /d/ /d/ /d/ /d/
The “d” on the bus goes /d/ /d/ /d/
All around the town.
LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN
(Nursery Rhymes and Good Old Times CD)
London Bridge is falling down, (Two children hold hands in the
Falling down, falling down. air to form a bridge. The rest of the
London Bridge is falling down children form a single line and walk
My fair lady. under the bridge.)
Take the key and lock it up, (Children who are the bridge “catch”
Lock it up, lock it up. one child and gently swing them
Take the key and lock it up, back and forth in their arms.)
My fair lady.
Build it up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, silver and gold.
Build it up with silver and gold
My fair lady.
Activities:
Pass out flashcards with high frequency words on them to the children. When they are “caught” under the bridge spell out the word as they swing back and forth. For example: 
C – o – m – e,
C – o – m – e,
C – o – m – e.
Come, come, come.
You could also pass out letters and sing:
Take the “M” and lock it up,
Lock it up, lock it up.
Take the “M” and lock it up.
/m/, /m/, /m/
Show More...
YANKEE DOODLE
(Nursery Rhymes and Good Old Times CD)
Yankee Doodle went to town (Place one foot in front of the other
A riding on a pony. and rock back and forth to the beat.)
He stuck a feather in his cap, (Pretend to put feather on head.)
And called it macaroni.
Yankee Doodle, keep it up. (Rock back and forth as you pretend
Yankee Doodle dandy. to hold your reins.)
Mind the music and the step, (Hands on hips. Stick out heels.)
And with the girls be handy. (Bow from waist.)
Activities:
Have children choose a friend and hold hands and rock back and forth as they sing.
Make Yankee Doodle hats from newspaper. Fold a sheet of newspaper in half. Fold down the top corners to the middle. Bend one section of the bottom up. Turn over and bend the other section of the bottom up. Staple at the corners. Let children decorate with markers and a paper feather.
What does it mean to be “dandy”? Explain that when you don’t know what a word means you look it up in the dictionary. Model looking up that word and other words you come to in rhymes and songs that the children may not be familiar with.
Show More...