Sing and Learn

Learning in the Backyard

Attended the Sing and Learn drop in session conducted by the Richmond Family Place at the Cambie Branch Library. The session meets every Monday at from 1-2:30 pm and is open to families with children 0-5 years of age. The StrongStart centers are closed for the Summer break. So, the play and learn drop in program seemed to be a good alternative. The program is also offered at the Family Place's office. I just have not been able to make it to the office yet.

The Sing and Learn program started off with the
usual introduction around the circle. After the introductions, then the facilitator started singing all of Ayaan's favorite songs. The slippery fish, Wheels on the bus, Five little monkeys, Zoom zoom, zoom, Old Mc Donald, ABC song, Head, shoulders, knees and toes and Row, row row your boat. The new songs that she introduced were Mother, Father and Uncle John, A sailor went to sea, sea, sea and Shoo Fly don't bother me. I say new because I have only read these songs in the song books. I never heard these songs being sung before. Neither as a child nor as a Mommy relearning her songs and rhymes. Changing the tune of the classic ABC song was a novel idea to make children come up with the right tune. So, I learned 3 new songs and one new trick. It was a Sing and Learn session for Mommy too.

A sailor went to sea, to see some orange nail paint

After song and rhymes, there was free play and then the Librarian, Ms. V conducted the story time. It is always heartwarming to see teachers making their songs and stories gel and flow from one form to another. Ms. V  picked cats as her theme and tailored the stories and the songs around that same theme. This is something that I used to do during my B.Ed. practical training. Creating lesson plans that basically lays out the whole teaching session in words and making the ideas and concepts connect and flow into each other. The questions you will ask, the learning objective, the audio-visual teaching aids and the like. Preparing lesson plans just makes the whole teaching session easier to manage. Some teachers do it while others don't and it shows.

We actually went to the library for the Summer Reading Club. Aaliyah has been writing the titles of her books that she read in her booklet. She insists on writing in it all by herself. Her writing needs to be a little more proportionate and neat. But, I'm sure she will get there. Ms. V gave Ayaan and Aaliyah their stickers for the reading booklet. The stickers lit up their faces instantly. Oh what joy the little things in life bring!

I had scheduled the library visit around the same time as the Sing and Learn Drop-in so I could kill two birds with one stone. We borrowed some new books to read and also had some fun learning songs. I'm so glad we went. I hear the kids singing songs from the session while they are out riding their bikes. Their new favorite is the "Shoo fly don't bother me" and a "Sailor went to sea, sea, sea." It is just a happy feeling to know that the kids had fun and learned something new.