Children's Literature Sets

Those of you who follow my blog know that I looooove using children's literature in my classroom.  I end every first grade class with a song tale picture book.  However, I also love using children's literature as a springboard for improvisation, for rhythm activities, for melodic song incorporation, and for instrument playing.

I've just finished up two sets to share with you, to help you implement children's literature in your music classroom too.  (Note: Awesome classroom teachers who love to add music into their language arts lessons could also do this.  Gotta love music spreading outside of the music room and filling the school!)

The first set I finished goes with Eric Carle's Hungry Caterpillar book.

This set has four beat rhythm patterns to be chanted for each day's caterpillar dining.  Quarter and eighth notes are practiced, and an ostinato ensemble can even be performed.  Directions are included for making this rhythm activity a cross-curricular success.

The second set that is hot off the press goes with the book, "The Mitten."  In this set, I wrote a two measure sol mi la (and a few do's) melody for each character in the circular story.  Each page in the book has a melody to tag on to the prior melodies, making a longer and longer song.  Ideas for incorporating Orff instruments are also included.  Recordings of the song come along with the set, so classroom teachers who would like to use music in their language arts lessons can use the recordings to perform the songs with the book.  Three versions of slides are including, showing the text with a pictoral version of the solfege for the melodies, a version including just the text for each mini song, and a version including the notation for each mini song.  A copy of the sheet music is thrown in there too.  What more could you want or need? 

I can't wait to use these sets with my kids.  Hope they bring joy to your classroom as you share a love of music alongside a love of reading!