Author: Rachel Rambach

It’s amazing how quickly the Halloween decorations came down and were replaced with turkeys, pilgrims, and other symbols of Thanksgiving throughout the school where I work.  My students were already asking me to sing the Turkey Dinner Dance with them on November 1st, and of course I happily obliged.

As much fun as it is to sing about turkey dinner with all the trimmings, the theme that I really want to drive home with them this month is thankfulness.  It’s important to be thankful for all that we have throughout the entire year, and Thanksgiving is the perfect season to start encouraging my students to do so.

The song Thankful is meant to be a conversation starter; it poses the question: what are YOU thankful for?  Not only do I share the things and people for which I am thankful, but I invite my students to add to that list.  We’ve written verse upon verse using their answers, which range from “my little sister” to “kisses from my dog” and more.

What kinds of sweet and creative answers will your students give in response to this question?  There are plenty of songs about Thanksgiving to get them started!

Listen to Thankful from the album Listen & Learn: Thanksgiving in the audio player, below.

Goodbyes aren’t easy. There’s nothing fun about parting from a relative or friend, whether its for a few short days or for an extended period of time. But if saying goodbye is difficult for you, think about how it must feel for a child who has severe separation anxiety issues. Many of the children I work with must deal with this on a daily basis, and that is something we can address through music.

I always end my music therapy sessions and music classes with a goodbye song, and I try to stick with those that are happy and upbeat so that the transition to the next activity is hopefully a positive one. However, I wanted to address the feelings that some children associate with saying goodbye, which is why I wrote Time to Say Goodbye.

It’s important to validate the anxious or sad feeling a child may experience when he or she says goodbye, and reassure that it is only a temporary separation (unless it is not, in which case a different approach should be taken).

This song could be used at different transition times throughout the day; I mentioned going to school and coming home from school, but you could easily add verses about going other places or seeing off a friend or loved one for a period of time.

Explore more of our Transition Songs for helping children move from one activity, place, or situation to the next.

Listen to Time to Say Goodbye from the album Time to Sing Hello in the audio player, below.

I don’t know about you, but on many mornings, I find myself in front of a classroom full of very sleepy children.  I have found that the best remedy for such situations is an upbeat, interactive song that involves lots of movement.

Not only does a song like this encourage children to get up on their feet, but it also addresses important skills like gross motor movement, following directions, and action imitation.  I kept these things in mind when I wrote the song Move Your Body Along, and it works like charm every time my students are doing more yawning than singing!

Since I work primarily with young children and children with special needs, I keeep the movements very basic: clap, stomp, stretch, twist, jump, sway, and sit.  But what I like about this song is that it’s easy to change up the movements to make them easier or harder, depending on the skill level of the children.  I’ll often substitute the existing movements with the following: tap (knees or feet), nod, bend, snap, and so on.

Another adaptation I often use is letting my students suggest different kinds of movements.  They love the idea of being the leader of the group, so I have them take turns coming to the front of the room and demonstrating their movement.

There are so many ways to combine music and motion in the classroom.  Our collection of Movement Songs is sure to get your students clapping, stomping, and stretching along!

Listen to Move Your Body Along from the album Time to Sing Hello in the audio player, below.

I am always looking for ways to incorporate instruments into my lessons with young children.  Instruments make a fun addition to any song or activity, and they can also serve as effective aids in teaching a particular skill or concept.

Take shakers, for instance.  I use bright, multi-colored egg shakers and chiquitas (egg shakers with handles) on a regular basis for several reasons:
a) they fit right into my students’ little hands
b) virtually no skill is required (Shakers sound good no matter what!)
c) they can be worked seamlessly into many goal-based activities.

In fact, I’ve written several songs based on the use of shakers.  While some are just for fun, others have a specific objective in mind.  Shakers, Up High! is an example of the latter; this song combines shaker playing, color identification, taking turns, and following directions.  Sounds complicated, right?  Well actually, it couldn’t be any simpler.

Everyone gets a shaker, which could be one of five colors (or more/less, depending on the shakers you have on hand).  The students play their shakers throughout the song, holding it high in the air when his or her color is called.  Listening is key to this activity!

For students who are just beginning to learn colors, it is helpful to include a visual (either a card displaying each color or an actual shaker) when naming the different colors in the song.  I always change up the order in which I name them, just to keep everyone on their toes.

Happy shaking!

Listen to a sample of Shakers, Up High! from Listen & Learn: Instruments in the audio player, below.