ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Sing To Learn Kindergarten!
Reading, Writing, and Phonics CD
13 Tracks PLUS Instrumental Versions
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Sing To Learn Educational Songs For Kids - Free Skip Counting Songs
For kindergartners their work is their play. The songs on this educational children's music CD play with basic reading and phonics concepts. Want some new alphabet songs? How about four new versions on the ABC's? The Sounds of the Alphabet has quickly become my top-selling song. This CD is just full of stuff kids need to know, but don't you worry. While the songs are based on educational content standards in English Language Arts, they are full of fun, as well.
Sing To Learn Kindergarten! Reading, Writing, and Phonics
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Sing To Learn
Educational Children’s Music For School and Home
Kindergarten! Reading, Writing, and Phonics Lyrics
Book sense is an important concept for emerging readers. This song includes the concept of front and back cover, author, title page, and making predictions about the story. With a light-hearted feel, this song also encourages young readers to enjoy reading.
Behind the Music . . .
Open A Book
Open a book,
Let’s take a look,
On the front cover,
What will it be about?
Open a book,
Let’s take a look,
Who is the author?
What’s on the title page?
You can take an adventure,
Learn something new,
And make a friend or two.
You can even read to your doggy!
Or, have your doggy read to you!
Close up your book,
Let’s take a look,
On the back cover,
Let’s read another,
Open a book.
Read, puppy, read!
Good doggy!
© 2006 Obie Leff
The Ode To Joy Alphabet Song
A, B, C, D, E, F, G,
H, I , J, K, L, M, N, O, P,
Q, R, S, T, U, V
W, X, Y, Z
A, B, C, D, E, F, G,
H, I , J, K, L, M, N, O, P,
Q, R, S, T, U, V
W, X, Y, Z
Now I know my ABC's,
Now I know my DEF's,
Next time won't you sing with me?
Please say, "Yes."
"Yes!"
A, B, C, D, E, F, G,
H, I , J, K, L, M, N, O, P,
Q, R, S, T, U, V
W, X, Y, Z
© 2006 Obie Leff
The traditional alphabet song is based on a French folk melody, "Ah! Vous Dirais-je, Maman." It's the tune of Baa, Baa, Black, Sheep; Twinkle, Twinkle little Star; and a set of piano variations by Mozart. Why give Mozart all the credit? Plenty of good melodies out there! As a huge Beethoven fan, I decided to set the alphabet to his famous melody, Ode To Joy. It works to give the alphabet song a new twist, picks up the tempo, and gives you three repetitions of the alphabet during one song.
Left To Right, Top To Bottom
Left to right on the printed page,
Top to bottom on the printed page.
Left to right on the printed page,
Top to bottom on the printed page.
Left to right,
Top to bottom,
On the printed page, the printed page.
Left to right on the printed page,
Top to bottom on the printed page.
Left to right on the printed page,
Top to bottom on the printed page.
Left to right,
Top to bottom,
On the printed page, the printed page.
© 2006 Obie Leff
What makes this educational children's song work is the choreography, or movement. Here's what you do: Starting with your right hand crossed over to the left, you swipe across to the right on the word 'right'. Clap your hands together on 'printed' and open them up like a book on 'page'. For 'top to bottom' take three swipes across a giant invisible book in front of you, squatting down to the floor as you go. It adds meaning, and it's fun!
The Backwards Alphabet Song
Z, Y, X, W, V
U, T, S, R, Q, P
O, N, M, L, K, J, I, H
G, F, E, D, C, B, A
Now I know my C, B, A's.
Next time won't you sing with me? (pronounce 'a' as in may)
© 2006 Obie Leff
Information, Please
I need some information, some information, please.
I want to see a movie, upon the movie screen.
Should I ask a 1st grader? No, sir!
2nd grader? No, sir!
3rd grader? No, sir!
Alligator? No!
I need some information, information, I'm in need.
I wish there were just something I could read!
Look in a newspaper! Yeah.
I need some information, some information, please.
I want to learn a lesson about a chimpanzee.
Should I ask a 1st grader? No, sir!
2nd grader? No, sir!
3rd grader? No, sir!
Bus Driver? No!
I need some information, information, I'm in need.
I wish there were just something I could read!
Look in an encyclopedia! Yeah.
I need some information, some information, please.
I want to make a sandwich, but I'm all out of cheese.
Should I ask a 1st grader? No, sir!
2nd grader? No, sir!
3rd grader? No, sir!
Music Teacher? No!
I need some information, information, I'm in need.
I wish there were just something I could read!
Look in a cookbook! Yeah.
© 2006 Obie Leff
Letters, Words, and Sentences
Letters make words. C-A-T. C-A-T spells cat.
Words make sentences. My cat took my baseball bat.
And he still won't give it back!
Letters make words. D-O-G. D-O-G spells dog.
Words make sentences. My dog went for a jog.
And he still hasn't come back!
Letters make words. D-A-D. D-A-D spells dad..
Words make sentences. My dad is feeling sad..
'Cause first, the cat took the baseball bat,
The the dog ran away and that was that.
But then we found them at the park.
Playing baseball in the dark.
And me and my dad, we both felt glad.
Thinking about all the fun we had.
Later that night, a story was heard.
All about letters, and sentences, and words!
© 2006 Obie Leff
Lonely, Letter
My name is 'Y'. I am a lonely letter.
A lonely letter all by myself.
My name is 'Y'. I am a lonely letter.
Can you help me find someone else?
Y-E-S, yes!
Y-O-U, you!
Y-a-y, yay!
Yes, it's true.
My name is 'Y'. I was a lonely letter.
A lonely letter all by myself.
My name is 'Y'. I was a lonely letter.
Then you helped me find someone else!
© 2006 Obie Leff
Same Or Different Sounds
I'm gonna say some sounds for you.
Same or different? It's up to you!
/ b / / b / / b / Same!
/ b / / d / / j / Different!
/ c / / c / / c / Same!
/ c / / ch / / s / Different!
I'm gonna say some sounds for you.
Same or different? It's up to you!
/ m / / m / / m / Same!
/ m / / n / / l / Different!
/ h / / h / / h / Same!
/ h / / p / / q / Different!
I'm gonna say some sounds for you.
© 2006 Obie Leff
SING TO LEARN KINDERGARTEN!
READING, WRITING, AND PHONICS CD
The Slow Phonics Alphabet Song
/ a /
/ b /
/ c /
/ d /
/ e /
/ f /
/ g /
/ h /
/ i /
/ j /
/ k /
/ l /
/ m /
/ n /
/ o /
/ p /
/ q /
/ r /
/ s /
/ t /
/ u /
/ v /
/ w /
/ x /
/ y /
/ z /
Now we know our / a / / b / / c / / s /.
Next time won't you sing with us?
© 2006 Obie Leff
Alphabetic Principle
The alphabetic principle,
Change a letter, change a sound.
De dal-pha-detic din-ci-dal,
Change a letter, change a sound.
H-A-T, hat! M-A-T, mat! M-A-D, mad! B-A-D, bad!
B-I-D, bid! D-I-D, did! D-I-P, dip! L-I-P, lip!
The alphabetic principle,
Change a letter, change a sound.
De dal-pha-detic din-ci-dal,
Change a letter, change a sound.
M-O-M, mom! M-A-M, mam! H-A-M, ham! H-I-M, him!
H-I-D, hid! B-I-D, bid! B-U-D, bud! B-U-S, bus!
The alphabetic principle,
Change a letter, change a sound.
Me mal-pha-metic min-ci-mal,
Change a letter, change a sound.
T-O-P, top! H-O-P, hop! H-O-T, hot! N-O-T, not!
N-E-T, net! S-E-T, set! Y-E-T, yet! Y-E-S, yes!
The alphabet principle!
© 2006 Obie Leff
Singing the Backwards Alphabet Song is easy, if you will do one thing . . . simply listen to the song. Don't think, just listen. Let the power of music teach you! It really works - my kindergarten music students learn it every year. We do a little choreography with it and at our concert, parents can't believe their eyes and ears. "Did my little one just sing the alphabet backwards? I can't even do that." Well, you could if you owned this CD and rocked it in your van on the way to work!
Looking for an educational children's song about finding information from a variety of sources? Here it is, and surprisingly, kids like it. Experiencing different printed sources of information is an educational content standard for kindergarten here in California. It's really fun to pause the song and talk to the alligator, bus driver, and music teacher ... silly questions like, "Excuse me mister alligator, I want to see a movie and don't know when it's playing?" Alligator replies, "Come a little closer and ask me again." Have fun with it - it's a song!
We've all heard of giving a student a written excerpt and having them count the following: How many words? How many sentences? Sadly, oftentimes they can't give the correct answer. Something that seems so easy and we take for granted does require some instruction and / or assessment. My aim for this educational children's song is for kids to have a fun experience through music to get motivated to learn their lesson. Music can provide that spark, a lift of energy and spirit that makes learning fun.
My mom, Audrey Leff, teaches third grade here in Yuba City. Every so often when our teaching schedules allow, I enjoy visiting her classroom and singing some of my educational children's music with her students. It's fun! Last year she had a class that just loved this song, Lonely Letter. Like the previous song, this one is about letters and words. Lonely Letter is written from the perspective of letter 'Y', who is all alone, looking for some friends to help make words. Hopefully, that reaches kids on a different level.
The ability for kids to play with language is a key indicator of reading success. Use this educational children's song as a starting point and then play games with your children or students. You say three phonetic sounds and then the kids respond, "Same!" or "Different!" It's pretty simple, and it's fun. If you're pretty handy with music, use the instrumental track provided on the CD.
The Slow Phonics Alphabet Song recites each letter sound instead of each letter name. Because that can be tricky, I slowed the tempo down. Also, the arrangement is in a minor key to add drama. Phonics concepts are perfect for educational children's music because it's easy to play with letter sounds in a song. If the song is too difficult to sing along with at first, just listen to it a few times. You'll be singing / speaking along in no time.
I teach classroom music, band, and theatre full-time at a local elementary school. So, I squeeze my educational songwriting into about 8 weeks during the summer. During that stretch I write and record a song each day. The low-voice background singing in this song is a direct result of sticking to that schedule. I had a cold, had to press on, so I sang the backgrounds down an octave and it turned out great. Funny how artistic decisions get made sometimes!
SING TO LEARN KINDERGARTEN!
READING, WRITING, AND PHONICS CD
It Is An Ox Up On Us
What’s that on your shoulder?
It is an ox up on us!
It is a huh? What?
What’s that on your shoulder?
It is an ox up on us!
It is a what? Huh?
What’s that on your shoulder?
Sound it out for me!
/i/, /t/, /i/, /t/, it! It!
/i/, /s/, /i/, /s/, is! It is!
/o/, /x/, /o/, /x/, ox! It is an ox!
/u/, /p/, /u/, /p/, up! It is an ox up!
/o/, /n/, /o/, /n/, on! It is an ox up on!
/u/, /s/, /u/, /s/, us! It is an ox up on us!
What’s that on your shoulder?
It is an ox up on us!
And it’s getting really, really heavy!
What’s that on your shoulder?
It is an ox up on us!
And it’s getting kind of smelly!
What’s that on your shoulder?
Sound it out for me!
Moo, moo, moo, moo!
© 2006 Obie Leff
An educational content standard for kindergarten English Language Arts (ELA) states that students should be able to blend simple vowel and consonant combinations. Do you feel a song coming on? After I listed all of the simple vowel / consonant combinations I could muster, the following phrase revealed itself to me. It's phonics meets pretend play.
SING TO LEARN KINDERGARTEN!
READING, WRITING, AND PHONICS CD
The Sounds Of The Alphabet
A say /a/, /a/.
B says /b/, /b-b-b-b/.
C says /c/, /c-c-c-c/.
D says /d/, /d-d-d-d/.
E says /e/, /e/. The sounds of the alphabet!
F says /f/, /f/.
G says /g/, /g-g-g-g/.
H says /h/, /h-h-h-h/.
I says /i/, /i/.
J says /j/, /j-j-j-j/. The sounds of the alphabet!
K says /k/, /k-k-k-k/.
L says /l/, /l/.
M says /m/, /m/.
N says /n/, /n/.
O says /o/, /o/. The sounds of the alphabet!
P says /p/, /p-p-p-p/.
Q says /q/, /q-q-q-q/.
R says /r/, /r/.
S says /s/, /s/.
T says /t/, /t-t-t-t/. The sounds of the alphabet!
U says /u/, /u/.
V says /v/, /v/.
W says /w/, /w-w-w-w/.
X says /x/, /x-x-x-x/.
Y says /y/, /y-y-y-y/.
Z says /z/, /z/. The sounds of the alphabet
© 2006 Obie Leff
This educational children's song is simple and very effective for introducing letter sounds. The Sounds of the Alphabet introduces each sound from A to Z. First the sound is heard, then students are encouraged to repeat it. Since it's release fall 2006, this has become our number one selling song. On iTunes, The Sounds of the Alphabet has been downloaded more times than my entire first album, ABC You Later. I'm glad to have contributed a song that teachers and parents find useful!
I admit it. . . I love to rhyme. If you like to rhyme as much as I do, you might enjoy this educational children's song, Rhyme Time. Teachers know the importance of playing with language in terms of reading development. The more opportunities students get to alliterate, rhyme, count syllables, and play with sounds the better. In this song, the listener fills in the blank with their own rhyming words. Be creative!
SING TO LEARN KINDERGARTEN!
READING, WRITING, AND PHONICS CD
Rhyme Time
It’s rhyme time!
It’s the song where you make the words.
It’s rhyme time!
Whenever a [note: a triangle ‘ding’ heard here] is heard.
Hat!
Shoe!
Sock!
Rhyme time!
It’s rhyme time!
It’s the song where you make the words.
It’s rhyme time!
Whenever a [note: a triangle ‘ding’ heard here] is heard.
Sun!
Rain!
Snow!
Rhyme time!
It’s rhyme time!
It’s the song where you make the words.
It’s rhyme time!
Whenever a [note: a triangle ‘ding’ heard here] is heard.
Frog!
Worm!
Mouse!
© 2006 Obie Leff