I dress for the Weather

Here's another song I wrote to go along with the theme of Winter.

This song is about clothing you need to wear when it is cold outside. Some children have a hard time with seasonal weather changes and the different clothes they have to wear. I have worked with a few children who have a hard time with this, mainly because they have a hard time getting used to the sensory aspect of wearing pants, wearing long sleeves, wearing a hat on their head, etc., after a long summer of t-shirts and shorts.

One way I recommend using this song is to have pictures of each clothing item and/or the real clothing items. Let the child find each item (from a box or basket) and point to where the clothing will go.

I also made a powerpoint to show visuals of this song (hat, jacket, scarf, gloves) and with each slide I ask (older groups), "What is this?" "Where does it go?" Then I sing each phrase and the students point to each body part as we sing.

Another idea would be to hand out the actual clothing items to students in a group (or pictures of the items) and sing the song. Sing the first part of the song and after singing, "I'll wear a hat on my head", substitute the following words in the song, "Who has the hat?". Allow students to say, "I do" (if they are nonverbal, with a voice output switch,etc.) and they can come up and give the hat to you. (Another fun idea would be for a classroom assistant or teacher to put the items on :)).



Lyrics:

It's cold outside, the temperatures are low.
It's time to get ready to go.
What will I need to wear to stay warm?
I dress for the weather, you know.

I'll wear a hat on my head.
A hat will help me stay warm.
(Repeat)
~I'll wear a jacket and zip it up all the way
~I'll wear a scarf around my neck
~I'll wear gloves on my hands

It's cold outside, the temperatures are low.
It's time to get ready to go.
I know what I need to wear to stay warm.
I dress for the weather, you know.

© 2010 Amanda Ellis

A very useful website!

Here's a site I just had to share with everyone.

I read about this website in a magazine the other day and after I looked it up, I can see that it will be very useful! You can check it out here.

It is essentially a "to do list" online and it can alert you via email, text message, etc. to remind you about things as they come up on your list.

I personally have mine set up to alert me via my gmail account. I'm keeping track of deadlines, song requests to write about, appointments, etc..

You should take a look and see how yet another form of technology can help keep us on the right track!

I hope you are having a great week!

~Amanda
morewithmusic@gmail.com

$$$ Dollars $$$

Basic skills are something many students work on for the majority of their school careers. Many students I work with are learning to identify coins and money.

I wrote this song to help students learn to identify different kinds of paper money.
While writing the words to this song, I was trying to come up with a way to teach the different dollar bills, but also keeping in mind that some of the students I work with might not be able to recognize the presidents on each dollar bill, or participate in making change for different dollar bills. I decided to keep it simple for this song and then I plan to add to it with one or two more advanced versions of this song.

Hope you enjoy it!



(Chorus)
$1, $5, 10 and 20,
50 and $100-all are money.
Dollars and long, dollars are green,
they feel like paper too.
Look in the corners of each dollar,
and it's number will be shown to you.

This dollar bill has number one in the corners you see.
That's why it's called a one dollar bill.

This dollar bill has number five in the corners you see.
That's why it's called a five dollar bill.

(Chorus)

This dollar bill has number 10 in the corners you see.
That's why it's called a ten dollar bill.

This dollar bill has the number 20 in the corners you see.
That's why it's called a twenty dollar bill.

(Chorus)

This dollar bill has the number 50 in the corners you see.
That's why it's called a fifty dollar bill.

This dollar bill has the number 100 in the corners you see.
That's why it's called a one hundred dollar bill.

(Chorus)
© 2010 Amanda Ellis

I wish I was a Snowman

Here's a song for a winter theme!

Lot of students study snowmen around this time of year.
Some of the classrooms I work with are studying parts of a face with the snowmen, and clothing items the snowman might also wear.

A few ideas for incorporating this song into activities:

1) Make a Snowman file folder game. On the inside left of the folder, put clothing items for the snowman attached with velcro and parts of the face items also. For fun, give several choices of types of hat, scarf, etc. so kids really choose how they want snowman to look. On the inside right of the folder, have a nice big (blank) snowman all ready to design.

2) Get a stuffed Snowman toy and as you sing this song, point out the features/clothing as it is introduced. Have students touch each item that is introduced in the song. Then ask questions, "Where is the hat?" "Where is the scarf? "What will the snowman smell things with?"

3) Use this song as you do the Snowman activity on www.starfall.com You will be able to ask students, "Which hat do you want to put on the snowman?", etc.

4) For nonverbal students to participate, use a Step by Step switch (voice output device that can be programmed for multiple turns/answers), and program each different verse, "...a hat on my head you'd see", then "..two arms at my sides you'd see."

5) Make a plain white snowman out of bulletin board paper to hang up in your class. Pass out pictures (preferably laminated picture cards that can be reused again), of clothing items and parts of face for snowman to students. Sing song, and as each item is called, allow students come up to place it on large snowman. You could use double sticky tape or velcro to attach items to snowman.

**For all you crafty, talented folks out there, check out how to make your own snowman visual at www.theartfulcrafter.com/pillow-snowman.html



Here are the lyrics:

Oh I wish I was a snowman.
That is what I'd really like to be.
For if I was a great big snowman...

1. a hat on my head you'd see
2. arms at my sides you'd see
3. a scarf around my neck you'd see
4. eyes I would have to see
5. a nose on my face you'd see
6. a mouth I would use to sing
7. I would like you to play with me!


It looks like we might be getting a little bit of snow here in NC. Hope you all are staying warm wherever you are!

Hope you are having a great week!

Magnets All Around

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone has had a chance to rest over the holiday break. Our family had a nice trip to Florida last week to see my parents and a couple of siblings. We had easy travels and a good visit, so all in all it was a nice change of pace for a week.

I wanted to share a song about Magnets. I wrote this song to assist a teacher in exposing her students to magnets, what they are, what they do, and where you can usually find them. It is very wordy (in my opinion), but I opted to repeat each new verse so that the students would have a longer period of time to look at the visual aid (I made a power point with pictures of each magnet mentioned)for each verse.

My goal was to find several items in which magnets are found that students would most likely relate to and recognize. I was surprised by some of the items that have magnets myself!

If you have any questions and/or feedback, feel free to email me at: morewithmusic@gmail.com

Have a great day!


Chorus:

Magnets all around,
We use them for many things.
They come in lots of sizes,
and many different shapes.

Refrigerator doors, speakers, CD players too.
Credit cards, can openers, and lots of toys too.

Magnets have a force that cannot be seen.
It's called Magnetic Force and it can be strong or weak.

Magnets have two poles, one is the north and one is the south.
Opposite poles will attract, and stick together.
Like poles will push away, and repel each other.

© 2010 Amanda Ellis