Customer Reviews

Easy Songs for Smooth Transitions in the Classroom

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I am not a fan of children's music and find most songs written for children to be way too campy... an unfortunate trait for someone who teaches preschool!

While not all of the songs in this book are to my taste, most of them fall within the range that I consider acceptable. More importantly though, is the usefulness of applying them to my classroom. Each song comes with tips about how & when to use it, and how it can be tailored to the individual children in your classroom. The cd makes learning the songs quick and easy, particularly if you take advantage of the song card printouts at the back of the book. The songs are categorized by transition type. I used a different color paper for each category when I copied the song cards. I keep them in a basket, laminated and bound together by a metal ring, so I can reach them whenever needed.

The best bit is how my children respond to singing transitions. I used to give them verbal warnings a few minutes before transitions ("You have three more minutes to draw before we clean up for snack."). Then I would ring a soft bell. Most children would follow that routine, but my most active and easily distracted children struggled with it. The transition songs are loved by all my children and help them stay on task and focused. Transitions have become an enjoyable part of our daily routine now!

My only complaint (and this is small) is that the song cards do not have cutting guides printed on them. They also did not appear to be set on the page so that they will be the same size when you cut them apart.

This book is full of fantastic fun and engaging songs that keep young bodies on task and happy throughout the day. And it offers several nice changes from the regular tunes we hear in most preschool or daycare centers during clean up time. This book was invaluable to me at Head Start.