Children love rhyme and should have opportunities throughout the Foundation Stage to 'enjoy rhyming and rhythmic activities' (Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, p60).
Many practitioners include nursery rhymes as part of the everyday provision and have a set of core rhymes to use with the children in their setting (see box). Why not compile a set of core rhymes for your setting and tie it into a project about rhyme?
All the rhymes covered in this part of the project, apart from 'Five small teddies', can be downloaded free from www.keepingthebeat.co.uk.
Adult-led activities
'Five small teddies'
Start with a teddy bear rhyme that can be sung to the tune of 'Ten green bottles'.
Five small teddies sitting on a wall, Five small teddies sitting on a wall, And if one small teddy should accidentally fall, Oww!!
There'll be four small teddies sitting on the wall.
Four small teddies...
Three small teddies...(and so on)
Key learning intentions
To respond to and use an increasing repertoire of rhymes
To say number names to five
To move with confidence, imagination and in safety
Adult:child ratio 1:up to 8
Resources
Five assorted teddy bears in a feely bag or box and a 'wall' made from large construction blocks ,five teddy hats
,five teddy magnetic props, a 'wall' and numerals
Preparation
* Make five cardboard 'hats', using strips of coloured card large enough to fit around the children's heads. Laminate the 'hats', and attach strips of Velcro - one to each end of the card, and one to the front of the hat so that a prop can be attached to it to support the rhyme (or any other number rhyme, for example, involving bottles, buns, aliens, ducks, frogs and so on).
* Cut the outlines of five teddies from coloured card and laminate.
* Cut out smaller outlines of five more teddies, laminate and attach magnetic tape. Draw a brick wall on a piece of A4 red or orange card. Cut in half lengthways and make a 'wall' magnetic prop (which can also be used for 'Two little dicky birds' or 'Ten green bottles').
Activity content
* Introduce the rhyme to the children and encourage them to join in.
* Encourage them to reach inside the feely bag and describe what they feel.
As each bear is removed, help the child sit it on the 'wall'.
* When all the bears are on the wall, spend a short time discussing similarities and differences.
* Chant the rhyme again, with one teddy falling off the wall each time.
* All stand up, and then choose five children to hold the five small teddies and sit on chairs.
* Chant the rhyme one more time, with one teddy (indicate by touching the child's shoulder) 'falling' off each time.
* Encourage the children to make loud 'oww!' sounds as the teddy falls.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Wall, fall, teddy, teddies, furry, small, large, big, fluffy, shiny, magnetic, sounds like
Questions to ask
* What do you think is in the bag? What does it feel like?
* Which teddy do you like best? Why?
* What would happen if the teddies were left on a real wall outdoors?
Extension ideas
* Encourage the children to retell the rhyme using the magnetic props.
* Support them as they retell the rhyme independently, indoors and outdoors, jumping from a low wall or chalked 'wall'.
* Make a number book containing photographs of the children, wearing the teddy hats.
* Make a lotto matching game with digital photos of bears.
* Provide opportunities for the children to explore a huge selection of bears.
* Introduce Compare Bears or magnetic bear outlines in varying sizes and colours for the children to count and sort.
* Make a bear number line.
Ted in a bed
Share a teddy bear story with the children.
Key learning intentions
To listen with enjoyment and respond to rhymes
To count reliably up to ten everyday objects
To use information and communication technology to support their learning
Adult:child ratio 1:up to 4
Resources
Digital camera ,A4 coloured card ,speech bubbles , assorted graphical media ,Ten in a Bed by Penny Dale (Walker Books, 4.99) , selection of soft toys in a wicker basket , colourful duvet cover or quilt Preparation
* Ensure that the children are familiar with the rhyme 'Ten in the Bed'.
Activity content
* Look at the book with the children and recall the rhyme.
* Explore the soft toys and discuss similarities and differences between them.
* Encourage each child to select a favourite toy and record their comments about their preferences.
* Beginning with ten children, each child cuddles their favourite toy and scrambles under cover, as if in bed, while the other children take photos.
* Take turns for one child to leave the 'bed' with their toy, and then take a photo of the remaining toys and children, until none are left.
* Print out the photographs and compile a book together, with one photo and the words on each right-hand page.
* Add speech bubbles of the children's comments about the photographs.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
One less, more than, less than, number names, bed, duvet, bedspread, under, take away
Questions to ask
* Where do you think we should keep the bears?
* Can you think of a way to make the photographs smaller?
* How do you think you can make sure that everybody puts the bears back in the right place?
* What things do you think we could use to make a bed for the toys to sleep in?
* Why do you think that the toys fell out of the bed?
Extension activities
* Make magnetic props using photographs of the toys to support the children's retelling of the rhyme.
* Make a box 'bed' with the children and provide the soft toys for imaginative play.
* Create an interactive display, with photographs of the toys arranged on a shelf, so that the children can match each toy to the appropriate photograph.
Child-initiated learning
Outdoors - 'Five speckled frogs'
Additional resources and adult support
* Make frog 'hats' or masks (see above).
* Provide five logs outside, and chalk a blue 'pond' with lily leaves on the ground.
* Place the logs near a wall with the numerals 1-5.
* Observe, and where appropriate, extend children's imaginative role play.
* Help children as they act out the rhyme, jumping into the water from the 'logs'.
Play possibilities
* Retelling the rhyme
* Making up own songs and rhymes
* Piling up the logs
* Counting the logs
* Exploring different ways of moving on to and off the logs
* Moving like a frog
Possible learning outcomes
Displays high levels of involvement in activities
Shows an awareness of rhyme
Recognises numerals 1-5
Moves in a range of ways
Uses imagination in play
Water area - 'Five little ducks'
Additional resources
and adult support
* Provide five small plastic ducks and a large duck in a water tray full of blue water. Float fabric water lilies on the surface and add metallic gravel.
* Provide the laminated rhyme card and plastic numerals 1-5.
* Model the use of key vocabulary, such as duck, duckling, swim, pond, river, water, gravel, water lily.
* Ask open-ended questions about what the children are doing and why.
* Support the children's conversations, encouraging them to make connections with earlier or home experiences.
* Promote children's autonomy through the independent use of resources.
Play possibilities
* Floating the ducks
* Holding the ducks under water and watching them bob up again
* Counting the ducks
* Splashing the water
* Working as part of a group, co-operating and negotiating
Possible learning outcomes
Displays high levels of involvement in activities
Uses language to recreate roles and experiences
Uses number names
Shows curiosity, observes and manipulates objects
Imaginative play - 'Five little aliens'
Additional resources
and adult support
* Set up a 'space' scene in a builder's tray, using moon glow gravel and large rocks. Create craters using aluminium foil. Add space vehicles and five aliens.
* Make a flying saucer by covering a plastic plate in foil.
* Put all five aliens in the flying saucer.
* Provide a recording of the rhyme which children can use independently.
Play possibilities
* Creating a space environment for the aliens
* Counting the aliens
* Creating own stories about the aliens
* Exploring the use of language through robot or alien 'talk'
Possible learning outcomes
Persists at an activity of own choosing
Initiates conversations and takes account of what others say
Counts up to five objects by saying one number name for each item
Investigates materials by using all their senses as appropriate
Manipulates materials to achieve a planned effect
Uses their bodies to explore texture
Sand play - 'Ten green bottles'
Additional resources and adult support
* Put up a notice, with one green plastic bottle, and ask families to contribute similar water bottles.
* Put a plank across the sand tray and line up the bottles.
* Fill each bottle with dry sand - consider different colours and adding glitter.
* Provide funnels and assorted spoons.
* Help the children to make connections with the rhyme.
* Model the use of key vocabulary - glittery, shiny, sparkling, shimmering, full, empty, fill, funnel, spoons, small, big, smaller than, bigger than.
Play possibilities
* Filling and emptying bottles with sand
* Lining up bottles
* Knocking bottles into sand tray
* Exploring the contents of the bottles
* Counting the bottles
* Predicting how many spoons of sand will fill a bottle
Possible learning outcomes
Questions why things happen and gives explanations
Uses language such as 'smaller' or 'bigger' to compare size
Engages in activities requiring hand-eye co-ordination
Judith Stevens is an early years adviser for Lewisham Education
Areas of learning
Personal, social and emotional development
Communication, language and literacy
Mathematical development
Knowledge & understanding of the world
Physical development
Creative development
Core rhymes
* Compile a set of ten to 12 'core rhymes' - that is, the rhymes that you use most frequently and the ones which are most relevant and meaningful to the children, staff and families in your setting. Select rhymes that the children like and may have heard at home.
* Agree which versions of the rhymes to use, as there are often many similar versions.
* Print out the agreed versions in clear bold type on A4 coloured card.
* Invite the children to illustrate the cards, then laminate each card.
* Every week, choose one core rhyme as your 'Rhyme of the Week'.
* Make families aware of the core rhymes by displaying your 'Rhyme of the Week' on your parents' noticeboard or giving each family a copy of the rhyme.
* Produce a tape of all the core rhymes for families to borrow or keep. It is helpful if the recording includes an adult saying the words clearly as well as a group of children chanting the rhymes.
* Try to find a good commercial recording of your core rhymes, bearing in mind that many recordings are very dated and fail to engage young children.
'Keeping the Beat' (see Reader Offer) includes new takes on 13 old favourites.
* Use the 'Rhyme of the Week' every day to give the children lots of opportunities to listen, revisit and play with the words and rhythms. Other poems and rhymes can be used as well, but having a core set will enable the children to become familiar and confident with a wide range of quality rhymes by the time they leave the setting.
Number rhymes
Collect resources to support number rhymes, such as sets of five plastic frogs or five fluffy ducks. Ask the children's families to contribute. The contributions will come in all shapes and sizes, so children can explore and discuss comparisons, and they are likely to include free toys from, for example, children's cereal boxes, so if one item is lost or damaged, it can be replaced easily and without expense.
