Music definitely is something that a baby and the whole family can enjoy together. Sing-alongs blend the sounds of the different generations and build memorable experiences. Internalizing the musical sounds is beneficial. It’s a pleasurable time that will deepen the social-emotional bonds for all who are involved. This is true - that’s for sure!
INTERACTIVE
Sing Away!
3 months to 12 months
December 15, 2023
What else is happening in the baby’s brain? Their brain is using music in multiple ways throughout their early development. One important contribution of music is how it expands their knowledge of words and supports their speech production. “Speech and music unite in the form of song. Human speech and music both use characteristics of pitch, loudness, duration and timbre to communicate with the audience.” stated Dr. Jaan Ross of Estorian Academy of Music and Theater.
Nursery rhymes, songs and poems can be introduced to a baby and sung throughout their childhood. Learning is taking place every second during Music Time. Try to be consistent in the way each song is presented - timing, words and motions. The baby brain thrives on repetition. Go ahead now - AND hop on the band wagon – just sing away!
Familiar Songs & Nursery Rhymes & Lullabies
This short song called Pat-a-Cake does have actions. In the beginning a young baby may just wiggle or clap along as the parent sings and does the movements. Much later the baby will try to do more with the parent as their coordination skills improve.
Pat-a-cake
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man.
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with “B”
And put it in the oven for Baby and me!
Pat-a-Cake
Actions
- Hand motions – baby watches in beginning
First 2 lines
- Parent claps putting their own 2 hands together,
keeping the beat of the rhyme.
3rd line
- Parent rolls hands sideways around each
otherAND pats top of left hand with their right
hand AND traces letter B in the air
4th line
- Parent acts like putting cake in ovenAnd when
singing “Baby and me” hold arms as if rocking a baby
baby Additional motions (older baby/child is facing parent)
First 2 lines
- Hands crisscross — a parents’ right hand, touches /claps.
The child’s right hand -- next switch hands
–a parent’s left hand - crosses to touch/clap the
child’s left hand.3rd and 4th same as above except
both the parent and baby make the motions
Open Shut Them is an interactive fun song to add to your baby’s song list. It uses hand motions with the lyrics to teach body parts. There are different versions of this familiar tune, below is one of the more popular ones.
Open, Shut Them
Open, shut them, Open, shut them,
Give a little clap
Open, shut them, Open, shut them,
Put them in your lap
Creep them, creep them,
Creep them, creep them,
Right up to your chin
Open wide your little mouth,
But do not let them in.
Open, Shut Them
Actions
- Parent –set up to get ready-
start with both hands made into fists
- 1st 2nd lines —open both hands at same time
and close hands – repeat for a second time
Followed by a clap
- 3rd-4th lines
Repeat hand movements used first line
Followed by hands going on lap
- 5th 6th 7th lines
Wiggle fingers on both hands - moving them
slowly up sides body from lap, up to chin
(spider like)
- Last 2 lines
Open mouth, shake head meaning no –
while fingers still near mouth
- Baby may just watch, wiggle, make sounds or clap until ready to do some of the motions.
Hickory, Dickory, Dock is a familiar Mother Goose rhyme. Babies do like the pace and actions. Since it’s short it provides an opportunity to repeat it more than once during Music Time.
Hickory, Dickory, Dock
Hickory, dickory, dock.
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock.
Hickory, Dickory, Dock
Actions
- Parent –set up to get ready-
- Place left arm horizontal in front of chest,
place right arm with elbow on top of left hand,
point up with right hand vertically with all fingers
pointing up The right arm acts as a ticking
pendulum – on a clock. - 1st line
right arm, fingers point up, swings back and forth - 2nd line
use left hand/fingers to represent a little mouse
and have it run up your right arm while singing - 3rd line
pointer finger on right hand goes up into
the air, to represent the number 1 - 4th line
left hand (mouse) runs back down right arm - 5th line
repeat movements used in line 1 - Baby may just watch, wiggle, make sounds or clap until ready
to do some of the motions.
Dr. Anita Collins in her book titled, The Music Advantage summed up the importance of singing, “For a baby, sound is music and music is information, and song is far more interesting thanspeech. Why? Because speech at this time in their lives is a group of sounds that make no sense, whereas a song has a lot more variation and information because of the inclusion of rhythm and melody to the speech.” With that in mind, here are three “Home Grown” originals I’ve written to be used during an interactive Music Time.
I’m Your Mother
(tune: Are You Sleeping?)
I’m your mother,
I’m your mother.
Don’t you know? Don’t you know?
I really love you.
I really love you.
Yes, I do! Yes, I do!
(One could substitute these words for
the word mother:
father – brother – sister.)
earlyliteracylearning.com
Your Body
(tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
Wave, wave, wave your hand
Wave your hand again
Wave, wave, wave your hand
Wave your hand again!
Shake, shake, shake your head
Shake your head again
Shake, shake, shake your head
Shake your head again!
Tap, tap, tap your nose
Tap your nose again
Tap, tap, tap your nose
Tap your nose again!
(One could make all the verses having
the word tap and add other body parts
to touch.)
earlyliteracylearning.com
It’s Time to Wash
(tune: Mary Had A Little Lamb)
It’s time to wash you right now
right now, right now
It’s time to wash you right now
Here we go!
It’s time to wash your little nose
little nose, little nose
It’s time to wash your little nose
on your face
It’s time to wash your little mouth
little mouth, little mouth
It’s time to wash your little mouth
on your face
It’s time to wash both your ears
both ears, both ears
It’s time to wash both your ears
on your head
It’s time to wash your five toes
five toes, five toes
It’s time to wash your five toes
on each foot!
It’s time to finish right now
right now, right now
It’s time to finish right now
you’re all clean!
earlyliteracylearning.com
Singing---what a marvelous way to interact with your baby. It helps the baby brain learn vocabulary, motor skills and understand the routines of a day. Sing away with your little one!
Kylene
” Music has a poetry of its own, and that poetry is called melody.”
Joshua Logan, musical writer
Resources & References
Collins, Anita, Ph D, (2021), The Music Advantage, How Music Helps Your Child DEVELOP, LEARN and THRIVE, Chapter 2 - Why your baby responds to music, Publisher: TarcherPerigee
Gaddy, Jayne, Clinical Psychologist, (2017), Music and Your Infant’s Brain Development,
https://www.jaynegaddy.com/single-post/2018/03/15/music-and-your-infants-brain-development
Ross, Jaan, Dr. (2023), Science of Singing: When speech and music combine, Estorian Academy of Music and Theater, www.researchoutreach.org,
ScienceDaily, (2022), Sensitivity to musical rhythm supports social development in infants, Vanderbilt
University Medical Center,
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221102123611.htm
Wallden, Krista, Creative Clips, clipart,
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Krista-Wallden-Creative-Clips
Early Literacy Learning
Add Comments