Sing-A-Book!
When a book is sung, it goes beyond the
simple and everyday. It’s elevated to a new and
Carole Stephens
special experience. A musical book engages
and invites positive communal participation.
www.macaronisoup.com
Brigid Finucane
847-384-1404
WAYS TO USE BOOKS AND MUSIC AS PARTNERS IN LEARNING:
847-
1. Sing the whole book!
2. Put a tune to a book that uses repetitive phrases or consistent rhythms.
3. Pair a song with a book about the same topic.
4. Use a recording, singing along with it as you turn the pages.
5. Add a musical phrase to a book for emphasis.
6. Make a book using a favorite song as the text – illustrate!
7. Make a multi-medium unit – a song, a book, a flannelboard, art project…
About the Presenter: Miss Carole
grew up in a house with a pre-
school attached! She graduated from Northwestern University with a BS in musical
theater, acting in shows in Chicago and New York City (even a stint on All My Children!)
before going afloat as a cruise director in the Caribbean. Back on land again, she hosted
the nightly TV show “PM MAGAZINE” before settling down to “mommy.” She created
music classes to meet the needs of her 2 children, who are now twenty-somethings!
As MACARONI SOUP, she has been providing musical entertainment and education for
children 1 – 12 years old since 1989. Carole’s CDs have won the Parents’ Choice,
NAPPA, I-Parenting Media, Mom’s Choice and Children’s Music Web Awards.
Carole is available for Kid Classes, Teacher Workshops,
and Family Night Concerts.
Music can be used as a tool – for transitions or to set a mood. Music can be an
event by itself when shared around a theme of interest (outer space, a season,
bugs!), or as a way to encourage spacial awareness, physical exercise, or good
social interaction. When selecting songs or activities, be sure to choose
developmentally appropriate material that has an element of fun – for both you
and the children you teach.
“Teach with enthusiasm, they will learn with enthusiasm!”
“Miss Carole”
Key to Carole’s CDs:
SS = Season Sings
SC = Stinky Cake
Wishy Washy Washerwoman
HUM = HUM: Highly Usable Music
On my “Baloney!” cd.
Waaay down in the valley where nobody goes
There’s a wishy washy washerwoman washing her clothes
She goes wishy washy up
She goes wishy washy down
She goes wishy washy up
She goes wishy washy down
That’s how the wishy washy washerwoman washes her clothes!
v.2 …dries her clothes, whoo-ee (sweep hands in 0)
v.3 folds her clothes, 1-2 (hand on top of hand)
v.4 eats Oreo’s, dunk, yum!
v.5 says adios! Adios, bye bye, ta ta, ciao baby!
1. Sing the whole book!
Polar Bear, Polar Bear by Bill Martin Jr
& Eric Carle
Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle”
I read the book to the kids first, then establish a
rhythmic cadence and do it again. The next time we
read this book, we begin with the sung version and
add the puffy shapes (from Lakeshore).
I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More!
By Karen Beaumont
All you need for this one is some clean, dry paint
brushes or sponge brushes or rollers. If you don’t
know the tune to “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More”, I’ve
recorded that song on my Season Sings cd.
2. Put a tune to a book that uses
repetitive phrases or consistent rhythms.
Where is the Green Sheep? By Mem Fox
I do this as an echo song – students repeat after me. The
great sing-songy tune is by Barb Tilsen. I clip 1-2 “verses”
together for the first reading so that I can have new verses
on successive readings.
The refrain is “where, oh where is the green sheep?”
SOTM 7/10
Book Buddy: any of Joy Cowley’s Mrs. WW
books – I love Mrs. Wishy Washy’s Farm.!
4. Use a recording, singing along
with it as you turn the pages.
Everyone Asked About You
by Theodore F. Gross
“Sing Me a Story” – cd by Bob McGrath
This magical book is out of print, but available in
many school and public libraries. The charming
watercolor illustrations paired with Ladysmith Black
Mambazo’s heartbeat and Bob’s friendly voice – well,
you’ll be doing this over and over! It’s worth the
trouble to find it!
Need a videoclip of me singng this? Email me!
3. Pair a song with a book about
the same topic.
The Penguin Song SC SOTM 12/08
Did you ever see a penguin come to tea?
5. Add a musical phrase to a book
for emphasis.
Fortunately, Unfortunately
by Michael Foreman
Explore vocal highs and lows, expressive voice,
Take a look at me, a penguin you will see!
surprise, and sequence (consequence!) After each
Penguins, ATTENTION! Penguins, BEGIN!
(salute, stand straight)
fortunate thing say in a high voice, “All right!” After
Right arm!
(flap it out from side)
each unfortunate thing, say in a low voice, “Oh No!”
(Add a movement each time you sing the verse – right
arm, left arm, right foot, left foot, nod your head!
Remember to do the mirror image of what you want the
children to do if you’re facing them. You’ll all look like
penguins by the end of the song!)
Book Buddy: Tacky the Penguin
By Helen Lester
Learning to read expressively is easier to do if you have
been read TO expressively – lose your inhibitions and sing
this as badly as possible: “How many toes does a fish have?
And how many wings on a cow? I wonder, yup, I wonder!”
6. Make a book using a favorite
song as the text – illustrate!
Pumpkin, Pumpkin SS SOTM 10/06
Tune: 10 Little Indians, with flannelboard/homemade book
Pumpkin, pumpkin, orange pumpkin
Pumpkin, pumpkin, orange pumpkin
Pumpkin, pumpkin, orange pumpkin
Hi Ho! Autumn is here!
v. 1 Give him eyes like two triangles
v. 2 Give him a mouth to make him smile
v. 3 Give him a nose that’s round like a circle
PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN Cont’d
v. 4 repeat pumpkin verse, or “Give him a light to make
him shine!”
MORE BOOK / SONG BUDDIES:
1. I Went Walking by Sue Williams /
7. Make a multi-medium unit – a
song, a movement activity, a book,
a flannelboard, art or science
project, a student created tale …
“Black Bat Farm”
by Carole Peterson
HUM SOTM 10/04
c.2003
Tune: The Green Grass Grew All Around (minor key)
This slightly spooky echo song is a hit all year ‘round!
There was a farm
(echo)
A spooky little farm
(echo)
The spookiest farm
(echo)
That you ever did see…eee.
A field’s on the farm, the farm’s full of spooks – BOO!
“As I Was Walking to Town One Day”
SC SOTM 9/08
2. Five Little Ducks by Penny Ives /
“Ducks Like Rain” HUM SOTM 4/07
3. There’s A Spider on the Floor
by Raffi
(sing to “If Happy & Know It”)
4. Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum by Lisa
Wheeler / “Sticky Bubble Gum” SBG
SOTM 8/07
And the black bats flew all around, all around
The black bats flew all around, OOOHHH!
And the black bats flew all around, all around
The black bats flew all around
v. 2 there was a vine, the creepiest vine
v.3 there was a pumpkin, the cutest little pumpkin
v. 4 there are some seeds, the slimiest seeds
I use a flannelboard – with bats, a barn, a vine and a
pumpkin (with white seeds glued on one side) made from
felt. Make enough “finger bats” so that every child gets to
5. Goodnight, Moon by Margaret Wise
Brown / “I See The Moon”
by Sally Rogers
B
6. The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss /
“I’m A Little Seed” TT SOTM 4/05
7. Bark, George! By Jules Feiffer
put one on if you like.
Story Starter: “There was a wiley old cat on the
farm who couldn’t hear ….”
SUPER-SIZE ME:
Bats Are Sleeping! Tune: Frere Jaques
Bats are sleeping, bats are sleeping
Upside down, upside down!
Waiting for the nighttime, waiting for the nighttime
Then they fly around, then they fly around!
(start standing, with head and hands on the floor!, then FLY
REMEMBER – USE IT OR LOSE IT!
Take something you learned today back to your
classroom soon! If you have questions, I’m just
an email or phone call away! Have fun!
Yours for a Song!
Miss Carole
www.macaronisoup.com
on the 4th line. I turn the lights off at that point, turning
them on at the end of the song to do it again…and again!)
SUPER-SUPER-SIZE ME:
There Was an Old Lady Who
Swallowed a Bat by Lucille Colandro
and/or
Stella Luna by Janelle Cannon
prekandksharing.blogspot.com
(I post on the 16th of each month)
Please LIKE me on FB:
Macaroni Soup with Miss Carole