Lullabies to Circle Games

Book excerpt: Lullabies to Circle Games: An Early Childhood Music & Movement Curriculum by Jo Kirk. This curriculum is jammed packed with joy-filled time-tested/classroom-tested music and movement experiences for children, birth through Pre-K and early elementary school. It is designed for parents, early childhood specialist and music & movement educators. It offers teaching tips, approaches for leading a song or rhyme, methods for teaching a song by rote, "greeting" songs, choosing songs & rhymes, and song that incorporate the child's name. Special attention is directed to (a) a movement sequence that provides greater movement success for the child, (b) the vocal and rhythmic development of the child, and (c) suggested ways to use simple percussion instruments to enhance the child's musical ear and awareness. This developmentally appropriate curriculum is organized by 1-12 month (passive stage of learning), 13-24 month (transitional stage of learning), 2-3 years (active stage of learning), 4-5 years and school age through 3rd or 4th grade (early musical literacy focus). Game directions and teaching suggestions are provided for EVERY song, rhyme and activity in the book. The 1-12-month curriculum connects the caregiver and child in joy-filled one-on-one musical experiences through bonces, wiggles, tickles, taps, claps, use of simple percussion instruments, easy to sing songs, fostering movement exploration, movement to recordings and lullabies. The 13-24-month curriculum contains vigorous bounces, delightful wiggles, beginning finger plays & tickles, claps, songs for movement exploration, taps, easy to sing songs, use of simple percussion instruments, beginning circle games, lullabies, songs for listening, and movement to recordings that the child and teacher/caregiver can share together as well as side-by-side. The 2-3-year curriculum includes finger plays, action songs, activities & songs with the steady beat, songs for independent singing: fill in the blank, echoing and resting tone, active movement exploration, circle games, and songs for listening which motivate the child toward independent exploration. The 4-5-year & school age curriculum actively leads the child through sophisticated finger plays and action songs, steady beat activities, simple songs, movement exploration and complex circle games, fun-filled opportunities for independent singing and creative movement to recorded music that challenges the imagination.