Do you celebrate success in your class?

Celebrate success with CCBA. What’s CCBA?

Catch Children Being Amazing! It’s an acronym I created to remind teachers to focus on amazing student work. When we notice the great things happening around us, rather than negative things, more great things can appear. By talking about the wonderful things you see happening in your classroom, young learners will strive to do these wonderful things, too.

How do you do that?

Describe what you see happening in your classroom. What do you see? What do you hear?

-Be specific about what students are doing. Consider your goals for the activity. You can add descriptions to help students come up with more ideas.

For example, the goal of the activity below was for students to make letter shapes in different ways. At first, I’m describing individual student actions. You’ll notice that I’ve pointed out body parts, letter names, size, and students working together.

I see Yuya making the letter d with his fingers.

I see Sara making the letter D with her whole body. She made a big letter shape.

I see Anna and Noah standing back-to-back. They are collaborating by making their letter together.

By describing the many different students’ ideas, students will try out varied ideas, too. Try to acknowledge as many students as possible during your class. That builds self-confidence, too.

You can also acknowledge something that the whole class has done.

Look at how quickly our class tidied up our classroom. Everything has been put away.

Our class now knows all the words to our new song. I listened and heard you singing by yourself.

Celebration Chants

I use Celebration chants with my young learners (and teachers). They’re easy to do and bring positive energy to your space. First, teach them to your students. Then, use them throughout your day. Let’s get started.

Here’s a video with all three chants listed below.

Celebration Chants video

We Did It

My Japanese students used to say, 先生、やりましたよ。Sensei, Teacher, I did it! I wrote this chant to celebrate my students’ successes. It’s called “We Did It!” Maybe you know this popular chant. It’s available on my Jump Jump Everyone album, too.

We did it! We did it! We did It today!

Pat. Clap. Pat. Clap. Pat. Clap. Pat. Clap.

We did it! We did it! Hip, hip, hooray!

Pat. Clap. Pat. Clap. Roll your hands. Arms up high.

4-3-2-1

Why not celebrate in a new way? My students loved counting backwards.

Four, three, two, one,

Use fingers 4—–3—–2—–1

Hooray for all the things we’ve done.

Shake hands up / Clap. Clap. Clap.

SUCCESS

This last chant is called “SUCCESS.” This may work best for your elementary students since they know how to spell words and do handclapping games.

S—U—C—C—E—S—S— That’s the way we spell “success.”

Pat. Clap. Pat. Clap. Pat. Clap. Pat. Clap. Pat. Clap. Pat. Clap. Pat Jump up high.

My students like to do this chant with a partner, too. Here are several ways students can do it, from the easiest way to the most complicated way.

Variation 1: Pat own legs—clap both partner’s hands.

Variation 2: Pat own legs—clap own hands—clap both partner’s hands—clap own hands

Variation 3: Pat own legs— clap own hands—clap partner’s right hand—clap own hands

—clap partner’s left hand—clap own hands– clap both partner’s hands—clap own hands* (repeat—last time omit last *)

All of these images can be found in the Google Slides here.

Do you have a celebration chant that you do with your students? Share it with Kathy!

magictimekids@gmail.com

Songwriter Kathy Kampa is a passionate educator of young learners. She seeks to nurture children’s imaginations and spark creativity through fun and engaging activities. Kathy believes that music and movement should be a part of every young child’s education. Kathy’s songs for kids (Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays and Jump Jump Everyone) are available on iTunes.

Kathy uses a globally-minded and inquiry-based approach to teaching through which students develop 21st-century skills. She also supports the development of English language skills by creating songs, chants, and TPR/movement activities targeted to young learners’ needs. Kathy is an author and teacher-trainer with Oxford University Press. She is delighted to be teaching young learners in her hometown.

Hearts and Lots of Love for Valentine’s Day

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Valentine’s Day is a special time for us to express our love or friendship. Here are two of my new songs.

How do I write songs? Sometimes when I’m driving in my car or out for a walk, I’ll hear a song in my head. I’ll keep singing it until I have a place to stop and record it on my phone. Sometimes a song wakes me up from my sleep, and I’ll write notes on a sheet of paper next to my bed. Children often ask me to sing a song about something they are interested in. I’ll ponder that topic until their special song appears.

After a song is born, I use it with lots of young learners to see what works, what variations appear, what we can do with it, what vocabulary and concepts it teaches, and what makes it fun and special. A song is often filled with surprises!

My first new song is called “I Love You.” I love writing songs for young learners to move to. “Jump” by Patty Shukla invites children to move. But children also need time to be calm and quiet. That’s what Patty’s song does. So does mine.

My song “I Love You” can be used to help children feel cozy, calm, and quiet, especially at the end of a class. Children might rock from side to side, hold a stuffed animal, or even get a hug.

For parents at home, this is a lovely lullaby to sing before your child falls asleep.

When our two sons were little boys, we loved to snuggle up and sing lullabies to them.

And if you’re wondering about this photo, our children spent most of their young lives in Japan. We were invited to participate in our local autumn festival by carrying the o-mikoshi, making rice balls, and spending time with our neighbors in Nakamachi.

Here are the lyrics to my song:

I love you, I really, really do! I love you.

I love you in the morning,

I love you at night,

I love you through the day when the sun shines bright.

I love you, I really, really do. I really love you.

Here’s the video.

Variations:

SEL (Social Emotional Learning) is now part of many curriculums at school. Use this variation to affirm young learners.

I like me, I really, really do. I like me.

I like me in the morning,

I like me at night,

I like me through the day when the sun shines bright.

I like me, I really, really do. I really like me.

Or JUST CHANGE “ME” to “YOU.” Children can sing this to each other.

I’ve been studying French with Duolingo. I started to wonder if I could write this song in French. With a little help from my French-speaking friends, we’ve come up with this version of the first verse.

Je t’aime. Encore, toujours, Je t’aime. (Or Je t’aime d’amour– pronounced: J’t’em d’a-mour)

Je t’aime. Encore, toujours, Je t’aime. (Or Je t’aime d’amour)

Je t’aime le matin. Je t’aime la nuit,

Et toute la journée quand le soleil sourit,

Je t’aime. Encore, toujours. Je t’aime. (Or Je t’aime d’amour)

___________________________________________________

Here’s a more active song for young learners called “A Little Heart, A Big Heart.” They can sing and dance to it alone, with a partner, or with their whole class.

When I first teach this, I cut out a small heart and show it to my students. I sing, I made a little heart.

Then I do the same making a big heart, singing, I made a big heart.

Then I put them together, singing, See, it’s a Valentine.

Then I hand this Valentine to someone, singing, Please say you’ll be mine.

Now let’s add some simple movements!

Here’s the video. The lyrics and Google slides will follow.

Video of A Little Heart, A Big Heart by Kathy Kampa

I made a little heart, (make a little heart shape, or just a small shape)

I made a big heart, (make a big heart shape, or just a big shape)

See, it’s a Valentine. (little by little open your arms to make a big V shape on “Valentine”)

Please say you’ll be mine. (hug)

Think, think, think. Think, think, think. What should we do?

In Place movements: clap, swing, twist, jump, march, hop, turn around, wiggle . . .

Children can dance alone or with a partner. They can also move together as a class.

Sing the melody above using the syllable “la”

La la la la la la!

La la la la la!

La la la la la la !

La la la la la!

Here are the Google slides to help you teach this.

Here’s a BIG heart, little heart craft activity.

For more kid-tested music and movement activities, check out more music on iTunes, Spotify, and Apple Music. Kathy has produced two music CDs for very young learners, Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays and Jump Jump Everyone, which build English language skills through music and movement while nurturing creativity and imagination. Grown and loved by real kids!

Check out Kathy Kampa’s YouTube channel here.

I’m Your Friend, a Valentine’s Day Song For Kids

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Valentine’s Day is a time for children to celebrate friendships! Classroom activities like this can teach young learners how to develop healthy relationships.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day here in the United States, children often make cards or little treats for their friends. I’ve invited my friend Ava to share her thoughts about how she celebrates Valentine’s Day with her friends and classmates.

Ava shares Valentine’s Day traditions in the US

I like to celebrate holidays with music and movement! Today’s song is called “I’m Your Friend,” from my album Jump Jump Everyone. With this song, you can add valuable skills such as phonemic awareness to your lesson while celebrating Valentine’s Day and friendship.

Rhyming words

Listen for the rhyming words at the end of each line. In this song, the words mine, nine, and Valentine all rhyme. Why is rhyming important? Check out this fabulous post by Marissa Labuz. Rhyming aids memory, supports phonemic awareness, and builds listening skills. Children have fun singing songs and chants with rhyming words.

Movement

This song invites children to move in various ways, such as galloping, skipping, jumping, walking, and even skating! Developing gross motor skills is important for young learners. The movements encourage students to move from one place to another. These are called “locomotor movements.” If you have a smaller space, students can move in a small circle in their own spot.

You can sing this song with small or large classes. I usually teach this song to kindergarten and early elementary students.

Here’s a video to teach you the lyrics and the movements:

Here are the lyrics to the song:

3. I’m Your Friend words and music by Kathy Kampa

From Jump Jump Everyone CD

Chorus:

I’m your friend.

(Gesture to chest, then to a person)

You are mine.

(Gesture to person, then to heart)

Will you be my Valentine?

(Swing hands with partner or in the circle)

Repeat.

Let’s walk.

(See the notes below. Children can hold hands in a whole class circle or move with a partner.)

Verse:

Walk, walk, walk with me. Walking, walking, 1-2-3,

4-5-6, 7-8-9, Will you be my Valentine?

(Clap-4-5-6,-7-8-9) Make a heart shape with your fingers or arms by yourself or with a friend. Or give your partner a hug!

*repeat with skip, jump, slide, skate, dance

Here are Google slides for this song.

Building Social Skills

Here’s the version from the video:

Stand in one big circle. Face the middle for the chorus, and then move around the circle with the whole class for the verses. For the counting part, 4-5-6, 7-8-9, clap your hands on one side and then the other. Finally, make a heart shape using your fingers or arms.

Children face the middle, then hold hands together to move around the circle.

Once your children know this song, you can add some new challenges. Step into my English class in Tokyo, Japan. Check out how my English students added their own ideas.

Children can dance with partners. How can you help them find partners? When children are in a circle, you can walk around the circle. Have two children turn to face each other. They can do all of the movements with their partners.

Or you can use this transitional chant. Pat and clap your legs to keep the beat as you say the chant. Count slowly as you get closer to the number ten.

It’s okay for partners to be scattered around your space and move in their own little group. If you have an odd person out, make a group of three.

For elementary students, you might try this challenge. Make an inside and an outside circle. One partner stands in the inside circle, and the other in an outside circle. Partners face each other. Children can do the movements for the verse holding hands with their partner around the circle. At the end of the verse, the outside circle children move ahead to the next partner.

So you can make this as simple or as fancy as you’d like!

If you’re looking for music to play in your classroom, check out this Spotify playlist for February:

Come back to my blog to discover more fun activities that build language through music and movement. Thank you!

Celebrate Valentine's Day with this delightful song for children.

Songwriter Kathy Kampa is a passionate educator of young learners. She seeks to nurture children’s imaginations and spark creativity through fun and engaging activities. Kathy believes that music and movement should be a part of every young child’s education. Kathy’s songs for kids (Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays and Jump Jump Everyone) are available on iTunes.

For more kid-tested music and movement activities, check out more music on iTunes. Kathy has produced two music CDs for very young learners, Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays and Jump Jump Everyone, which build English language skills through music and movement while nurturing creativity and imagination! Grown and loved by real kids!