Written by John M. Feierabend
Published by GIA Publications, 2004
ISBN 9781579992675

Author John M. Feierabend is a national leader in the field of early childhood education and is the chair of the music education department at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. He brings his years of experience with young learners to his book series and has created a goldmine of resources for teachers.

The Book of Songs & Rhymes with Beat Motions: Keeping the Beat is the perfect addition to any music, kindergarten, day care or elementary school classroom. Full of classic songs and rhymes, the activities provide innovative and creative ways to teach rhythm, vocabulary, coordination and group interaction.  Musical notes and text are included on almost every page as well as instructions for the motions when appropriate.

Old time favorites like Cobbler Cobbler, Dance and Sing Around the Ring, and Pop Goes the Weasel are now readily at your fingertips.  Poems with a beat, like Hickory Dickory Dock and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater can be used with slightly older students to teach the rhythm of poetry.  I have used many of these with English language learners (This is a Pencil for example) with great success; to play as you learn is always an effective teaching tool.

It’s great to have a resource to thumb through when you are fresh out of ideas and after a few minutes with this text and you will be ready to go again!

Additional titles in the First Steps in Music series include: The Book of Children’s Song Tales, The Book of Fingerplays and Action Songs, and The Book of Movement Exploration.

—Heidi Grosch