Introduction: I loved this song growing up, and it's still as popular today with children as it was years ago. Basic numbers can be taught to pre-schoolers with this song.
This Old Man Author Unknown
This old man, he played one,
He played knick-knack on my thumb.
Refrain
With a knick-knack paddy whack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played three,
He played knick-knack on my knee.
Refrain
This old man, he played four,
He played knick-knack on my door.
Refrain
This old man, he played five,
He played knick-knack on my hive.
Refrain
This old man, he played six,
He played knick-knack with some sticks.
Refrain
This old man, he played seven,
He played knick-knack up to heaven.
Refrain
This old man, he played eight,
He played knick-knack on my gate.
Refrain
This old man, he played nine,
He played knick-knack on my spine.
Refrain
This old man, he played ten,
He played knick-knack now and then.
Refrain
From If You're Happy and You Know It: 18 Story Songs Set to Pictures by Nicki Weiss, Greenwillow Books, 1987.
Extension: Young children love repetition, and this song has plenty of that. Try adding movements with some of the verses, i.e. holding out the thumb for verse 1, pointing up to heaven on verse 7, etc.
Introduction: Go over the following jump-rope rhyme with the children for them to get the rhythm. Then get out the jump ropes for individual & group jumping while saying the rhyme.
Jump-Rope Rhyme Author Unknown
"Hello, hello, hello, sir,"
"Meet me at the grocer."
"No, sir."
"Why, sir?"
"Because I have a cold, sir."
"Where did you get your cold, sir?"
"At the North Pole, sir."
"What were you doing there, sir?"
"Shooting polar bear, sir."
"Let me hear you sneeze, sir."
"Kachoo, kachoo, kachoo, sir."
From A New Treasury of Children's Poetry, Selected & Introduced b Joanna Cole, Doubleday, 1984.
Extension: Have the children work in groups to come up with their own jump-rope rhyme. Each group can perform their poem for the others while jump-roping.
Introduction: This traditional song can be sung by two groups as an echo [in green] or as a round, which the second group can start at the asterick*]. Children can be taught the French version as well.
Are Y ou Sleeping?
Are you sleeping, are you sleeping,
*Brother John, brother John?
Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing,
Ding, ding, dong! Ding, ding, dong!
Frere Jacques
Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques,
Dormez vous? Dormez vous?
Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines,
Din, din, don! Din, din, don!
From The Round Book: Rounds Kids Love to Sing, by Margaret Read MacDonald & Winifred Jaeger, Linnet Book, 1999.
Extension: Try other rounds such as Row, Row, Row Your Boat, for the children to sing. Point out how staggering or layering the song by the second group creates harmony notes.
Poetry Performance
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