Learning Basic Skills Through Music
Volume II

Click Title for Lyrics:
1. Parade Of Colors
2. Paper Clocks
3. Let's Dance
4. One Shape, Three Shapes
5. Lucky Numbers


6. Triangle, Circle Or Sqaure
7. Words On The Board
8. Something That Begins Like
9. Let's Hide The Tamburine
10. Partners

1. Parade Of Colors
Words and Music: Hap Palmer

Purpose: Identifying colors.

Materials: Ten color cards - blue, read, black, green, yellow, pink, purple, brown, white, orange.

Setting: The children stand in line, ready to march around the circle. Each child holds a color card.

Action: The children march around the circle. When they hear the bell, they go to their seats which are placed in a large circle around the outside of the marching circle. They stand and sit as directed in the lyric of the song.

Lyrics:

Make way for the parade of colors
They are marching all around
There is purple and pink, red and green,
Yellow, orange, blue and brown
Make way for the parade of colors
They are marching all around
At the sound of the bell they will stop
And all sit down.

Blue stand up, red stand up, black and green stand up.
Yellow stand up, pink stand up, purple and brown stand up.
Green sit down, red sit down, white and orange stand up.
Yellow sit down, green stand up, pink and blue sit down.
Purple sit down, black sit down, red and yellow stand up.
Black stand up, blue stand up, purple and pink stand up.

Make way for the parade of colors
They are marching all around
There is purple and pink, black and white
Yellow, orange, blue and brown
Make way for the parade of colors
They are marching all around
At the sound of the bell they will stop
And all sit down.

Pink stand up, white stand up, brown and red stand up.
Black stand up, orange stand up, green and yellow stand up.
Red sit down, brown sit down, blue and purple stand up.
Orange sit down, brown stand up, green and black sit down.
Yellow sit down, white sit down, red and white stand up.
Yellow stand up, orange stand up, black and green stand up.

Make way for the parade of colors
They are marching all around
There is purple and pink, red and green
Yellow, orange, blue and brown
Make way for the parade of colors
They are marching all around
At the sound of the bell they will stop
And all sit down

Follow-up:
Try the advanced variation of this song PARADE OF COLORS from the recording, CAN A CHERRY PIE WAVE GOOD-BYE?
by Hap Palmer - www.happalmer.com

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2. Paper Clocks
Words and Music: Hap Palmer

Purpose: Identifying numbers 1 - 12; telling time on the hour

Materials: Ideally, one large paper clock, and a small paper clock for each memeber of the class.

Setting: The large paper clock is at the front of the class. Each child has a small paper clock at his desk.

Action: The children set the hands of their clock as directed by the song. The teacher or one of the students operates the large clock at the front of the class. This can serve as a self checking device for the rest of the class.

The children enjoy watching each other participate in this game, and, if only one clock is available, they can take turns.

Lyrics:

Chorus:
I am a paper clock I am
But I cannot move my hands
How I wish that I could tell the time
If you could help me move my hands
Everything would be just grand
If you could help me tell the time
Everything would be just fine

I want to say 4 o'clock. Move my hands to 4 o'clock
I want to say 6 o'clock. Move my hands to 6 o'clock
I want to say 2 o'clock. Move my hands to 2 o'clock
I want to say 7 o'clock. Move my hands to 7 o'clock
I want to say 10 o'clock. Move my hands to 10 o'clock
I want to say 3 o'clock. Move my hands to 3 o'clock

Repeat Chorus

I want to say 5 o'clock. Move my hands to 5 o'clock
I want to say 8 o'clock. Move my hands to 8 o'clock
I want to say 11 o'clock. Move my hands to 11 o'clock
I want to say 1 o'clock. Move my hands to 1 o'clock
I want to say 9 o'clock. Move my hands to 9 o'clock
I want to say 12 o'clock. Move my hands to 12 o'clock

Repeat Chorus

Follow-up: Try the two variations of this song which encourage whole body movement - JOLLY CLOCK (Time on the Hour), and JOLLY CLOCK (Advanced) from the recording CAN COCKATOOS COUNT BY TWOs?
by Hap Palmer - www.happalmer.com


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3. Let's Dance
Words and Music: Hap Palmer

Purpose: Identification of body planes (front, back, side) and movements in relation to these planes.

Setting: Children in a line, circle or scattered.

Action: Follow directions in song.

Lyrics:

Touch the front of your body
Now everybody bend forward
Touch the back of your body
Now everybody bend backward
Touch the side of your body
Now everybody bend sideways
Touch the other side of your body
Everybody bend to the other side

Chorus: Now let's dance, now let's dance
Everybody dance, now let's dance
Now let's dance, now let's dance
Everybody dance, now let's dance

Touch the front of your body
Everybody take a step forward
Touch the back of your body
Everybody take a step backward
Touch the side of your body
Everybody take a step sideways
Touch the other side of your body
Everybody step to the other side

Repeat Chorus

Touch the right side of your body
Now everybody move right
Touch the left side of your body
Now everybody move left
Touch the right side of your body
Now everybody move right
Touch the left side of your body
Now everybody move left

Repeat Chorus

Follow-up:
Try the updated rockin' version of this song, EVERYBODY DANCE from the recording CAN A JUMBO JET SING THE ALPHABET?
by Hap Palmer - www.happalmer.com

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4. One Shape, Three Shapes
Words and Music: Hap Palmer


Purpose
: Form perception; seeing likenesses and differences.

Materials: A collection of various shapes in pairs. These can be designed for use on a felt board, or made of a stiff material so they can be placed in the tray of the chalk board and easily manipulated by the children.

Setting: Three shapes are displayed in the front of the class. Three participants are given a shape identical to one of these shapes. During the vocal part of the song, the teacher points to the three shapes in front of the class and then to the one shape that looks the same as theirs.

Lyrics:

You hold one shape
Here are three shapes
Can you see the one
That is just like yours
You hold one shape
Here are three shapes
Can you see the one
That is just like yours

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5. Lucky Numbers
Words and Music: Hap Palmer

Purpose: Identification of numbers 1 - 20.

Materials: Number cards 1 - 20 and a circular board with the numbers 1 - 20 around the outside edge. The wheel can spin underneath a stationary pointer, or the pointer can be nailed and spin on top of the wheel.

Setting: The number cards are placed inside the edge of the circle. The children stand in line around the circle ready to march. The wheel can be placed in the center of the circle or at the front of the class.

Action: The children march around the circle. When the bell rings, they run and stand by a number card. Each child raises his hand when he hears his number. The, someone spins the wheel to find out what the lucky number is. The person who is standing by the lucky number is the winner.

Lyrics:

One, two, three and around we go
How many numbers do you know?
When you hear the bell run and stand by a number
Raise your hand when you hear your number

1, 2, 3 and 4
5, 6, 7 and 8
9, 10, 11,
12, 13, 14
15, 16, 17,
18, 19, 20
Now it's time to spin the wheel and see
What the lucky number will be

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6. Triangle, Circle Or Square
Words and Music: Hap Palmer

Purpose: Recognition of three basic shapes; triangle, circle and square. Perception of things with the hands.

Materials: A triangle, circle and square made of a stiff material so they can be manipulated. A box or bag.

Action: To start with, the three shapes are placed in full view. The children take turns pointing to the shapes described in each verse. Next, the three shapes are put in a box or bag. The child may feel the shapes but he may not see them. This can also be an activity involving intersensory training. The child is shown a picture of the shape described in a given verse, and then tries to find that shape in the box or bag without looking. In this activity, we have the transfer of a perception based upon one kind of sensory input (vision) with a perception depending upon another kind of sensation (tactile Kinesthetic input.)

Lyrics:

Triangle, circle, and square
Triangle, circle, and square
As you look at each one
see how different they are

Triangle, circle, and square

Can anyone show me a triangle?
Can anyone show me a triangle?
It has three sides each one is straight
Can anyone show me a triangle?

Can anyone show me a circle?
Can anyone show me a circle?
It's curved and round with no straight lines
Can anyone show me a circle?

Can anyone show me a square?
Can anyone show me a square?
It has four sides equal and straight
Can anyone show me a square?

Triangle, circle, and square
Triangle, circle, and square
As you go through the day
look for these shapes
Triangle, circle, and square

Follow-up: Try the variation of this song that relates shapes to things in the home, class and outdoors. This song titled, THE SHAPES THAT SURROUND YOU, is from the recording CAN A JUMBO JET SING THE ALPHABET?
by Hap Palmer - www.happalmer.com

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7. Words On The Board
Words and Music: Hap Palmer

Purpose: Recognition and discrimination of words that are alike.

Materials: Word cards - these can be words that are being learned in the reading program or protective vocabulary.

Action: Each participant is given a word card. An identical word card is placed on the felt board or the bulletin board. During the vocal part of the song, the children look for the word that looks the same as theirs. During the instrumental part, the children go to the board and hold their word next to the one that looks the same. Then the children take their word and give it to someone who has not had a turn and the game begins again. The vocal and instrumental parts are played 3 times so if the teacher wishes to have everyone participate, 1/3 of the group should go each time.

Lyrics:

There are many different words
Written on the board
And one word is the same as yours
As you look at all those words
Written on the board
Can you find the one
that looks the same as yours

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8. Something That Begins Like
Words and Music: Hap Palmer

Purpose: Phonetic analysis - recognizing words that begin with the same initial consonant.

Materials: Pictures of the following items (or the real thing, if possible):

1. A ball and two or three other things that begin with "B"
2. Some pie and two or three other things that begin with "P"
3. A Man and two or three other things that begin with "M"
4. Hair and two or three other things that begin with "H" (The teacher can use a person or a picture of a person and point to their hair.
5. A dog and two or three other things that begin with "D"

Setting: An assortment of pictures are placed on the bulletin board or chalk try, or real objects are placed on a table in front of the class.

Action: During the vocal part of the song, the teacher points to a picture of the example word. The song is more effective if the class sings along with the record. This will help the children recognize the sound of the beginning consonant. As the class sings, one person tries to find a word that begins like the example word.

Lyrics:
Ball, Ball,
Can you find something that begins like ball
Look at everything, look so carefully
Can you find something that begins like ball

Additional Verses:
(2) Pie
(3) Man
(4) Hair
(5) Dog

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9. Hide The Tambourine
Words and Music: Hap Palmer

Purpose: Listening and following directions - visual acuity.

Materials: A tambourine.

Action: One child is chosen to be "It," and another child is designated to hide the tambourine. The child who is "It" turns around and closes his eyes when he hears this command given in the song. The, someone hides the tambourine where it can be seen without opening or moving things. The child who is "It" turns around and opens his eyes when he hears this command given in the song. He then looks for the tambourine until he hears the words "shake, shake, the tambourine." If he has found the tambourine, he shakes it; if not, the person who hid the tambourine shakes it. Then, new participants are chosen, and the game begins again.

Lyrics:
Turn around. Close your eyes.
Let's hide the tambourine
Let's hide the tambourine
Let's hide the tambourine
Tam-tambourine

Turn around. Open your eyes.
Look for the tambourine
Look for the tambourine
Look for the tambourine
Tam-tambourine

Shake, shake the tambourine
Shake, shake the tambourine
Shake, shake the tambourine
Tam-tambourine

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10. Partners
Words and Music: Hap Palmer

Purpose: Listening and following directions.

Setting: Each child stands with a partner.

Action: Follow directions in song.

Lyrics:

Partners, partners,
Here's a little game with partners
One person moves while the other stands still
Everybody find a partner

Stand in front of your partner
Stand in back of your partner
Stand on your partners right side
Stand on your partners left side

Move away from your partner
Now move towards your partner
Make yourself shorter than your partner
Make yourself taller than your partner

Credits:
Guitar, Recorder, Saxophone, Percussion, Bass, Vocals: Hap Palmer
Engineer: Tom Perry
Cover: Yvonne Wood

All Songs by Hap Palmer ©Hap-Pal Music
Recorded in 1969 at Hollywood Sound Recorders


Updated versions for some of these songs are available for digital downloads.
Titles and source recordings are listed below:

Parade Of Colors
From the CDs, "Learning In Two Languages" and
"Can A Cherry Pie Wave Goodbye?"

Paper Clocks / Jolly Clock

From CD "Can Cockatoos Count By Twos?"

Let's Dance / Everybody Dance
From the CD "Can A Jumbo Jet Sing The Alphabet?"

Triangle, Circle Or Square / Shapes That Surround You
From the CD "Can A Jumbo Jet Sing The Alphabet?"

You can hear extra length samples of these updated versions at the Hap Palmer Store. You can also read the revised updated lyrics in the "Lyrics and Activities" section of this web site.

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All songs published by Hap-Pal Music. ©Hap-Pal Music all rights reserved. No part of these lyrics or activities may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher.

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