Lullabies and nursery songs

Here are ten lullabies or nursery songs that I have found that are completely new to me, I hope you enjoy them, sadly I was unable to find music for all of them but here they are.




"The Seal Lullaby" by Rudyard Kipling.



Oh! hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us,
And black are the waters that sparkled so green.
The moon, o'er the combers, looks downward to find us
At rest in the hollows that rustle between.

Where billow meets billow, then soft be thy pillow;
Ah, weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease!
The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee,
Asleep in the arms of the slow-swinging seas (x2).

Here's a second version of this song: toes, knees, shoulders, head.

Paa, tuhod, balikat, ulo 
Paa, tuhod, balikat, ulo 
Paa, tuhod, balikat, ulo 
Magpalakpakan tayo. 

English Translation:

My toes, my knees, my shoulders, my head,
My toes, my knees, my shoulders, my head,
My toes, my knees, my shoulders, my head,
Let's clap our hands together.

เป็ดอาบน้ำ

The Duck's Bath

Action Song

Action Song

(Thai)

(English)

ก้าบ ก้าบ ก้าบ
เป็ดอาบน้ำในคลอง
ตาก็จ้องแลมอง
เพราะในคลองมีหอย ปลา ปู

ก้าบ ก้าบ ก้าบ
 เป็ดอาบน้ำในคู
ตาก็จ้องแลดู
เพราะในคูมีหอย ปู ปลา

Quack, quack, quack,
A duck takes a bath in the river
Its eyes keep looking
Because in the river there are fish, shellfish, crabs.

Quack, quack, quack,
A duck takes a bath in the river
Its eyes keep watching
Because in the river there are fish, shellfish, crabs.

Pronunciation:

Gaab, gaab, gaab,
Ped arb nam nai klong
Ta kor jong lae mong
Praw nai klong mee hoi pla pu

Gaab, gaab, gaab,
Ped arb nam nai klong
Ta kor jong lae doo
Praw nai koo mee hoi pu pla

Pintxo gure txakurra da ta

Children's Song

(Basque)
Pintxo, pintxo gure txakurra da ta,
Pintxo, pintxo bere izena du,
Pintxo, pintxo gure txakurra da ta,
Pintxo, pintxo bere izena du.
Txuri, beltza da ta
ez du koska egiten,
begi bat ixten du
jolastu nahi badu.

Pintxo Is Our Dog

Children's Song

(English)

Pintxo*, Pintxo is our dog,

Pintxo, Pintxo, this is its name,
Pintxo, Pintxo is our dog,
Pintxo, Pintxo, this is its name,
It's black and white and
It doesn't bite,
It closes one eye,
If it wants to play.

Canta el gall

Children's Song
(Catalan)

Cada dia al dematí
canta un gall quiquiriquí
i la gent mig adormida
es desperta de seguida.
Cada dia al dematí
canta el gall quiquiriquí.

The Rooster Sings

Children's Song

(English)

Every day, in the morning,
The rooster sings Quiquiriqui*,
And people still sleepy,
Wake up at once.
Every day, in the morning,
The rooster sings Quiquiriqui*.

Manx Lullaby (Arrane Ny Clean)

Lullaby

Oh hush thee my dove, oh hush thee my rowan, 

Oh hush thee my lapwing, my little brown bird. 

Oh fold thy wings and seek thy nest now, 

Oh shine the berry on the bright tree, 

The bird is home from the mountain and valley. 

Oh horo hi ri ri. Cadul gu lo.*

* "Oh horo hi ri ri" are sounds used to soothe the baby. "Cadul gu lo" is pronounced "Cajool goo low" and it means, "keep sleeping" or "sleep on"  http://www.chimaera.co.nz/feral/download/ManxLullaby.pdf

Bluebells, Cockleshells

Jump Rope Rhyme

Bluebells, cockleshells (1)

Eevy, ivy, over (2)

Daddy is the butcher

Mummy cooks the meat

How many hours can baby sleep?

Across the Fields of Golden Grain

Round

Across the fields of golden grain,
A young man can be plainly seen.

Chorus
A hooya hooya hoo ya ya
Swiftly tumbling water.

A hooya hooya hoo ya ya
Swiftly tousling water.

But no 'tis not a boy at all,
But 'tis a castle spire so tall.

A-tisket A-tasket

Drop the Handkerchief Game

A-tisket a-tasket
A green and yellow basket
I sent a letter to my love
And on the way I dropped it,
I dropped it, I dropped it,
Yes, On the way I dropped it
A little boy picked it up
And put it in his pocket.

An Old Black Crow Came and Sat on a Pin

Lullaby

An old black crow came and sat on a pin
He came and he asked if ..... was in.
Daddy* said "Yes"
But (The other of the couple) said "No -
Go away, you naughty old crow!
You shall not sleep in ....'s beebow.
O No! O no!"

A Sailor Went to Sea Sea Sea

Hand Clapping Song

A sailor went to sea, sea, sea,
To see what he could see, see, see.
But all that he could see, see, see
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea.

A sailor went to chop, chop, chop,
To see what he could chop, chop, chop.
But all that he could chop, chop, chop
Was the bottom of the deep blue chop, chop, chop.

A sailor went to knee, knee, knee,
To see what he could knee, knee, knee,
But all that he could knee, knee, knee,
Was the bottom of the deep blue knee, knee, knee.

A sailor went to sea, chop, knee,
To see what he could sea, chop, knee,
But all that he could sea, chop, knee,
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, chop, knee.

My disability simulation experience.

  This simulation was a very interesting experience, being blind was unsettling, placing my trust in someone else, trusting them to guide me safely around obstacles and explain what was going on around me. I enjoyed reaching around once my classmate had settled me into a chair near the craft shelves, I was trying to imagine being young especially and trying to figure out what I was holding...at one point I was shaking a big jar of glitter around thinking it was sand. The hearing impairment simulation was strange, I could hear some muffled sounds but nothing definite, reading lips is not easy at all, especially when it's in another language or super fast, for all I knew my classmate was saying supercalifragilisticexpialidotious in Ukrainian, I really couldn't tell at all. I don't know what I would have done as a child if I had either of these types of impairment, my sight and my hearing are very important to me and how I experience the world around me.
  This whole exercise was very eye opening, reading with distractions was a nightmare to me, I love to read and the thought of struggling just to focus and comprehend what I'm reading not once, but multiple times...I wouldn't be who I am today if I had not been fortunate in that I took to reading like a duck to water, and it saddens me to think of all those that struggle in this fashion.
  Listening with distractions was another one for the books, it reminds me of when I am listening to one child when three or four more walk up with something to share too, oh that can be so overwhelming, so many voices at once and sometimes mixed with the other teachers...it usually takes several minutes at least to get that sorted out for everyone, I certainly feel I have a better take on those children that have a little more difficulty focusing on one thing at a time now.
 

I have a few different websites listed below that give some good ideas for classroom adaptations for both the visual and hearing impaired of all ages.

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/special-ed-hearing-impairments/67528-tips-and-strategies-for-teaching-hearing-impaired-students/

http://successforkidswithhearingloss.com/relationship-hl-listen-learn/accommodations/

http://www.pathstoliteracy.org/environmental-adaptations-preschool-classrooms-serving-children-who-are-blind-or-visually-impaired

http://www.afb.org/info/programs-and-services/professional-development/experts-guide/accommodations-and-modifications-at-a-glance/1235




 

Handwashing

From what I've observed in professional environments where hand washing is especially important to prevent the spread of disease, such as early learning centers and food venues, I can conclude that professionally they are very conscientious of washing their hands, what they do in private is anyone's guess. Other than professional environments it is pretty hit or miss, some people wash their hands diligently, others not so much, its a quick rinse and dry before you toss the towel and grab the door knob. That pretty much sums up my observations to date.

Early interventions, WaKIDS

WaKIDS plays a significant part in the transition between early learning programs (eceap, headstart, etc...) and kindergarten, by giving all teachers a come early learning language to communicate with but also a more universal assessment system that is understood by everyone. Teachers are better prepare to meet new students when they have insight from the previous teacher, WaKIDS also focuses on helping and connecting families with the early interventions that their children might need in order to achieve their greatest overall potential.

Caspar Babypants

Caspar Babypants interacts directly with the children who attend his concerts, he sits down low near them, encouraging them to dance and sing also and he has lots of little stories to go along with his songs, he also played familiar songs and took requests too. There were families of all walks of life there and all of them were having a good time. I personally liked the beatles renditions that we were treated to. Caspar Babypants real name is Chris Ballew, and I know pretty much nothing about him other than what I experienced at his concert, I and my family really enjoyed ourselves. Also, Caspar's wife makes some very beautiful art pieces.

Program overview

Waldorf : The concept behind Waldorf curriculum and education is very beautiful and loving, Waldorf schools focus on the whole child , mind, body, and spirit. Waldorf teachers use self reflection and group coalition to develop their curriculum and how to present the tools their students need in order grow and take in new information, the teachers are free to teach the curriculum in a manner that they know will best serve the children under their guidance, the environments are all very natural and welcoming, encouraging a sense of safety and comfort needed to learn optimally and support discovery.

Reggio : Reggio philosophy is that every child has 100 languages, these languages are ways of learning as well as expressing oneself, and each one is valid and important. The 100 languages in the Reggio philosophy remind me quite a bit of the Multiple Intelligence theory, only in much more detail. The multiple intelligence theory is that there are 8 intelligence types and they also more or less dictate how a person learns best and it varies greatly person to person. The 100 languages theory seem to expound upon this idea, promoting the validity of how each child learns and expresses themselves. Reggio is a highly supportive child led curriculum, the teachers place emphasis on what interests the children using their knowledge and resources to aid in the learning process, music is at the heart of this program, as well as dance and drama, and visual arts such as clay art, literacy and math are also thoroughly integrated into the curriculum. Everything about the Reggio philosophy from the teachers to the environment is intentional and designed to promote not just the child's success but also their families, and families are routinely involved whenever possible.

Cedarsong Nature School : I feel a great resonance with this philosophy, and if I ever venture to open my own center it will very likely be a nature school, I truly believe that being outside in nature daily is vital to us as human beings, especially when we are young and making our initial entrance and connection with the world around us. The children at Cedarsong are never stifled or restricted unless there is a true danger, and they are always encouraged to explore what piques their curiosity in this interest led nature based program,
for instance, they can readily identify a variety of edible plants as well as different bird call, bird calls that parents use to call their children to them at pick up time.

Cooperative preschools : Cooperative preschools are a direct partnership of teachers, children, and families, encouraging not just the growth and learning of the children but also the children's families, parent involvement has been shown to directly and positively impact a child's overall development, the children know that their families value them and what they are learning by being a part of it and the families benefit by being able to better understand their children and what they are learning. Cooperative preschools focus on and benefit the children in part because there are amazing adult to child ratios, better supporting the individual growth of each child through more one on one interactions, all aspects of play are encouraged as well including outside time, a must. Cooperative preschools also operate at a significantly lower cost do to the high parental involvement at all levels of the program, from the classroom to administration and governance. Cooperative preschools have enormous potential to benefit everyone who participates.

High Scope : The High Scope program is based in language development and hands on learning, using the Plan, Do, and Review approach, for instance the teacher will ask the children at the beginning of the day what it is they plan to do that day, and then again when they are engaged in activities, and then they talk together again at the days close. The High Scope approach encourages the development of independence, curiosity, decision making, cooperation, persistence, creativity, and problem solving, and meets all state and national standards and is used in a variety of settings including headstart programs, public school pre-kindergarten programs, and also family childcare settings. Children and teachers alike are participants in the learning and development process with constant quality interactions and observations, High Scope environments are set up for children to succeed in all of their endeavors to the best of their abilities and to help them expand upon what they already know.

Universal Preschool : There is a lot of debate over universal preschool, proponents of universal preschool point out both the short term and long term benefits of  early childhood programs are that children are more ready for school and achieve greater academic success and display greater self regulation skills, and further down the road in adolescence and adulthood they are also less likely to engage in reckless or dangerous behavior and they tend to maintain steady employment more readily than their peers who were not involved in a similar early learning environment. Those opposed to universal preschool argue that if these programs are not high quality that the benefits seem to trickle away during the later school years, however, the benefits later in life still stand with consistent employment etc... another thing is that someone has to pay for this program, and that can feel like trying to get water from a rock sometimes. So overall the evidence is there, now we just wait and see, and when we do implement a universal program we work to ensure that it is highest quality no matter where you are.

ECEAP 3 of 3

The ECEAP program is another free early childhood program aimed toward low income families, one that I would like to see used as a model for a universal preschool, ECEAP or Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program is a very delightful program, I love the emphasis on natural and cultural materials from around the world, I feel that just about any child would soon come to be extremely comfortable in the ECEAP environment, everything in the ECEAP environment is relevant and also age and developmentally appropriate. The teachers work diligently to support the children in their classroom, keeping up dialogue with the children and utilizing developmentally appropriate practice and guidance techniques, they also work to support the families of the children in their class, creating monthly newsletters with information about the curriculum and local events and activities, or special events in the classroom that families are invited to participate in, they also interact with parents at drop off and pick up apprising them of the days highlights or lowlights. The ECEAP program also focuses on building competency and skill building with the families of the children, and also seeks input from families on ways to potentially improve the program effectiveness.
I could go on for days, I really could, but I am leaving off here as I am sure that I will have ample opportunities to expound upon the virtues of programs such as ECEAP and Headstart, so until next time.