"Songs help children hear words broken down into syllables because there is a different note for each syllable. This promotes an important early literacy skill called phonological awareness, the ability to hear the small sounds that make up words. This skill helps children sound out words when they begin to read.” (School Library Journal; “Storytime Lessons,” March 1, 2006.)

 

CHILDREN ARE VERY FORGIVING WHEN IT COMES TO SINGING. They love learning new songs, and sing familiar songs with enthusiasm. 

---

IDEAS FOR USING SONGS IN STORYTIME

Substitute new words to familiar tunes---

If you're happy and you know it...becomes:

If you want to be a mouse, nibble cheese...

If you want to be a train, go choo-choo...

If you want to be a dinosaur, give a roar... 

---

see also: http://www.nancymusic.com/index.htm

              Chants

              Opening & Closing Rituals

              Songs for Storytime

---

LIST OF SONGS Please add to the lists (title or theme):

(key to lyric/tune sources can be found below this song list)

 

             TITLE                              LYRIC/TUNE SOURCE        SUBJECTS

Family Tree                                                                                   (family, relationships)

+ Farmer In the Dell                                              B-K-N              (farm, action)

Farmer Brown Had 5 Green Apples                                             (apples, farms)

Fire, Fire, Fire, Raging all About                                                   (fire. firemen)

Flour on my Fingers                                                                      (body parts, baking, action)

Follow the Drinking Gourd                                                            (civil rights, black history)

Found A Peanut                                                    B-K                  (peanuts, camp)

+  Froggie Went A-Courtin’                                   K-N                  (frogs, mice, love)

+  Frosty the Snowman                                         *I*                    (snow, winter)

Garden Song/Inch by Inch                                                            (gardening)

Go Tell Aunt Roddy                                                                       (geese)

Going on a Bear Hunt                                                                   (adventures, bears)

Going Over the Sea                                              S                     (pirates, sea, action)

Going to the Zoo                                                   R                     (zoo animals)                             

Good Garbage (Tom Chapin)                               *I*                    (garbage, Earth Day)

Good Morning to You                                            K-N                 (morning)

Good Night, Irene                                                  *I*                   (sleeping, evening)

+ Grand Old Duke of York                                   R-S-SS             (MG, soldiers, action)

Grandma Mose Was Sick in Bed                                                 (sickness, shakers)         

Gray Squirrel                                                        *I*                    (squirrels, action)          

+ Green for Go                                                                             (colors, traffic lights, safety)

+ The Green Grass Grows All Around                 K-N-SS            (earth, sequence, action)

Had a Little Chicken                                             K                     (chicken, eggs, camp)

Ham and Eggs                                                     SS                   (food, action)

Happy Birthday (1)                                                   *I*                    (birthdays)

Happy Birthday (2)

Happy Trails to You                                              N                     (cowboys, goodbye)

Have You Ever Seen A Lassie/Laddie?               B-K                 (action)                              

Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes                        B-K-N-S-SS    (body parts, action)

Heigh-Ho, Nobody Home                                     *I*                    (camp/rounds)

Hello, My Name is Joe                                                                 (silly, action)

Here Comes Peter Cottontail                               *I*                    (rabbits, Easter)

Here Comes Susie Snowflake                                                     (winter, snow)

Here We Go Loobty-Loo                                      N                     (action)

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush               B                     (MG, days of the week, action)

+ Hey, What Country Folk We Be                        *I*                    (shopping, action)

Hokey-Poky /Reindeer Pokey                              B-N                 (body parts, action)

Horns, Fangs, Tails and Claws                                                    (monster parts, action)          

+ Horse in Striped Pajamas                                                         (animals)

How Much Is the Doggie in the Window?            N                     (dogs)

Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Fire Truck                        K                     (firemen, action)

Hush-A-Bye                                                         K                     (babies, sleeping)         

+ Hush, Little Baby                                              B-K-N              (babies, sleeping)

+ I Had a Rooster, the Rooster Pleased Me        R                     (barnyard Animals, sounds)

I Have Something In My Pocket                          N                     (pockets, smiles. action)

I Know A Little Pussy                                          R                     (pussywillows)

I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly                                 (animals, silly)

+ I Like Trucks                                                    *I*                     (trucks)

I Love You  (Barney)                                           N                      (love, action)                              

I Stuck My Head in a Little Skunk Hole              *I*                     (skunks, camp, action)

I Won't Say "No"                                                                          (attitude & perseverance)

Icky Sticky Bubblegum                                                                (silly)

If All the Raindrops                                             K-N                   (rain, candy)

If I Could Have A Windmill                                 *I*                      (windmill, water, action)

If I Had a Hammer                                               N                      (hammer, bell, song, justice, unity)

If You’re Happy and You Know It                        B-K-S                (feelings, action) 

I'm A Knife, Fork, Spoon, Spatula                                                (utensils, tools)        

I’m A Little Teapot/Scarecrow/Snowman            N-R                   (MG, teapot, action)

I'm An Airplane                                                                             (planes, letter A)

I’m Being Swallowed By a Boa-Constrictor         *I*                     (snakes, body parts, camp, action)

I'm Leaving on an Airplane                                                           (planes, leaving)

I’m In Love With a Big Blue Frog                         *I*                     (frogs)

I'm In the Mood for Singing                                                           (music, actions)

In a Cabin, In the Woods                                    K-SS                 (rabbits, safety, action)

In the Good Old Summertime                              K                      (summer, courting)                    

Inchworm                                                              N                     (counting)

It's a Marshmallow World in the Winter                                        (winter, snow)                   

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring                                       K-N                  (rain, silly)

 

I've Got Sixpence                                                 *I*                   (shopping, silly)

Jennie Jenkins                                                                             (colors, silly)

Jingle Bells                                                                                   (snow, bells)       

Johnny Appleseed (Disney)                                 *I*                    (apples)          

Kindergarten Wall (McCutcheon)                         *I*                    (attitude, self-confidence)

Knock, Knock, Trick-or-Treat, Who Are You?                               (Halloween)

Kookaburra                                                           K-N                 (bird, gumdrops)                    

Lady With the Alligator Purse                               S                     (camp, inequities)                    

Lavender’s Blue                                                   K                     (lullaby, kings, queens) 

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow                                           (winter, snow)        

Let’s All Sing Like the Birdies Sing                      N                     (birds, sounds) 

Let's Go Driving In an Automobile                                               (car, imagination)

The Library Song (Tom Chapin)                           *I*                    (library)

The Lion Sleeps Tonight                                      *I*                    (lions)

A Little Bit Up and a Little Bit Down                                             (movement, silly)

Little Bunny Foo-Foo                                            B-K                  (rabbits, ghouls, action)

Little Red Wagon                                                  K                     (transportation, action)

+ Little White Duck                                                B-N                  (animals, colors, camp)                    

The Locomotion                                                    *I*                    (trains, dance)          

Love is Something When You Give It Away         *I*                    (love, action)         

 

SOURCE KEY

MG ---Mother Goose

B --- www.bussongs.com

K --- www.kididdles.com

L --- www.lyricsandsongs.com

N --- www.niehs.nih.gov/music.htm

R --- www.rainbowsongs.com

S --- www.songsforteaching.com

SS --- www.scoutsongs.com

*I* --- various sites on the internet