Story songs and Finger Play

At the end of last year, the cup song was a total hit. Kids, boys and girls, were all doing the cup song and variations of such. There are videos on YouTube of individuals and groups doing the Cup Song. You can do it with one cup, many cups, one child or a group. There is rhythm, repetition and fun.

Cup song was a phenomenon for the third grades up, however the younger kids have the classic clapping games. Patty cake and Little Bunny Foo Foo are classic examples.

Finger play, clapping, stomping and such stress rhythm of words within a song or story. It appeals to sense of sound, memory, and rhythm. It helps focus a group and adds the physical play into an activity requiring attention and concentration. It’s fun. It requires the students to be disciplined and encourages group dynamics. Students must play together, otherwise the rhythm does not come out right.

It’s a way to teach syllables by breaking down words in an action. You can teach sentence structure. You can use it for spelling.
Possibilities are endless.