The Slow Little Snail

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
In the Garden

Introducing dotted quarters, representing a slower pace, and the raised 5th (Si), while extending the vocal range.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ta ta ta | ta/ ti ta/ ti |
| ta/ ti ta ta |
Pitches: advanced: So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa So Si La
Intervals: advanced: descending dominate octave skip So\So, Fa\Ti, Do\So
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; repeat signs, 1st and 2nd endings, stepping up the staff from So to So, then So to La including Si; tempo: slowly, heavily; horizontal accent mark (sing/play note a little louder/stronger)
Key Words: animal science, gardening, snail, cosily, dwell, pretty, rounded, shell, slowpoke, pace, crawls, place, house, lack, back, perhaps, traveling

**“The Slow Little Snail”**

		1.	The snail all cosily may dwell Within his pretty, rounded shell. But Oh! the slowpoke, snaily pace At which he crawls from place to place.

		2.	A house he never means to lack, So takes it with him on his back. If we did that, perhaps we’d be As slow in traveling as he.

		Formats include questions for increased understanding: Does the melody have more skips or more steps? Where is the largest skip? Which measures have the same rhythm pattern ? Which measures have the same beat divisions?

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The Shell

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
By the Sea

Centered around the 3rd (Mi)
before arriving home to the tonic (Do).

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: G Major
Time: 6/8
Form: AABCD
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ti ti | ti ti ti ta ti ri |
| ti ti ti ta ti ri | ta/a |
Pitches: beginners: La Ti Do Re Mi
Intervals: intermediate: Mi\Do, Mi\La, Do\La, Do/Mi
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth, sixteenth; tempo: ben legato/well connected (tied together); pickup beat, tied notes, fermata; dynamics: piano/soft, pianissimo/very soft, crescendo, decrescendo
Key Words: earth science, oceans, shells, pretty, pink, ear, listening, message, hear, murmur; abbreviation: ’twill (it will)

**“The Shell”**
Put the pretty pink shell to your pretty pink ear, And by listening well, you it’s message will hear; For ’twill murmur to you, as it murmurs to me, “Oh I want to go back to my sea!”

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The Sheep

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
At the Farm

An excellent transitional tune: beginning rhythms, intermediate pitches, and advanced intervals.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ti ti ta ta | ta ti ti ta (ta) |
| ti ti ti ti ta (ta) | ta ti ti ta ti ti | ti ti ti ti ta/a |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Do
Intervals: advanced: Do/So, So\Do, Re/So, So\Mi, Mi/So, So\Re, Ra/Fa, Fa/La, La/Do, Do\So, Mi\Do
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; rests: quarter; tempo: moderato/moderately (86-97 BPM), horizontal accent (sing/play the note louder)
Key Words: farm life, animal science, animal sounds, farm animals, sheep (baa), flock, lambs, leap, white, black sheep, stood, might; abbreviation: wond’ring (wondering)

**“The Sheep”**

		1.	“Baa!” said the black sheep, “Baa!” said the white; “Baa!” said the white flock And baaed with all their might. One and another Joined in the call, White sheep and black sheep, The little lambs and all.

		2.	“Leap!” said the black sheep, “Leap!” said the white; “Leap!” said the whole flock, And leaped with all their might. One and another Leaped the low wall, White sheep and black sheep. The little lambs and all.

		3.	Wond’ring they stood there. “Baa!” said the sheep; “What did we “baa” for? And why did we leap?” “Baa!” said the white sheep, “Baa!” said the black, “Baa!” said the whole flock; “We might as well leap back!”

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Saying Good-Night

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
At the Farm

Sounding sleepy with andantino sostenuto and poco ritardando.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: E Flat Major
Time: 6/8
Form: AAB
Rhythm: beginners: ti | ta ti ta ti | ( 6 | 1/2 3 4/5 6 |)
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Do
Intervals: intermediate: So/Do, Do\So, La\Fa, Mi/So, So\Mi, Do/So
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth; repeat signs, pickup beat, multiple endings (4), poco ritardando; tempo: andantino sostenuto/sustained (78-83 BPM); dynamics: mezzo forte/medium loud, piano/soft, crescendo, decrescendo
Key Words: farm life, animals, animal sounds: dog (bow-wow), chicks (peep-peep), kittens (mew-mew); downy, bedtime, sleep; abbreviation: ’tis (it is)

**“Saying Good-Night”**

		1.	‘Tis bedtime for the doggy now. “Good-night” he says with “Bow-wow-wow!” “Good-night” he says with “Bow-wow-wow!”

		2.	The downy chicks must go to sleep. “Good-night they say with “peep-peep-peep!” “Good-night they say with “peep-peep-peep!”

		3.	To bed must go the kittens too. “Good-night” they say with “Mew-mew-mew!” “Good-night” they say with “Mew-mew-mew!”

		4.	“Good-night,” “Mew-mew,” Good-night,” “Peep-peep,” “Bow-wow,” “Good-night and happy sleep! “Good-night good-night and happy sleep!”

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Sally Go Round the Sun

Introducing 6/8 time with dotted quarters.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Nursery Rhyme
Key: D Major
Time: 6/8
Form: AABC
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ta ti | ta/_a/ |
(_=tie) | ta ti ta/ | ta ti ta ti | ta/ ta/ |
Pitches: beginners: Do Re Mi So La – pentatonic scale
Intervals: beginners: So\Mi, Mi\Do, Mi/Do
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; descending tonic triad intervals, moving to a steady beat
Key Words: nursery rhyme, steady beat movement, changing directions, left, right, clockwise, counter clockwise, sun, moon, chimney tops, afternoon; abbreviations: ev’ry (every)

**“Sally Go Round the Sun”**
Sally go round the sun. Sally go round the moon. Sally go round the chimney tops Ev’ry afternoon. Boom! Song movements: Students move clockwise in a circle jumping when they shout “boom!” and changing directions when they start again.

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Riddle-Cum-Riddle

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
At the Farm

Introducing the dotted quarter and dotted eighth notes.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: F Major
Time: 6/8
Form: AABCD
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ti ti | ti ti ti ta/ |
| ti/ ri ti ti ti ti | ti/ ri ti ta ti |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti
Intervals: intermediate: Do/Mi, Re/Fa, Fa\Re, Mi/So, So\Mi, Mi\Do, Do/Mi, Do/La, So\Mi\Do ascending tonic triad
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, dotted eighth, eighth, sixteenth; tempo: con moto/with motion; poco ritardando, dynamics: mezzo forte/medium soft, forte/loud, decrescendo, horizontal accent (sing/play the note a little louder)
Key Words: riddle songs, nonsense songs, farm life, milking cows, turning milk to cream, turning cream to butter, animal science, quarts, cream, twenty, plenty, pleasure, exchange, fresh, golden, damsel, strange

**“Riddle-Cum-Riddle”**
Riddle-cum-riddle, and what do you think? Ten quarts of cream and ten more at one drink. Ten quarts or twenty, and when she has plenty She dances with pleasure and gives in exchange Some fresh golden butter, this damsel so strange.

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The Rainbow

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
Fair Days and Stormy

Recognizing intervals of a third; line to line and space to space.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: E Flat Major
Time: 3/8
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta/_|_ta/ | ti ti ti |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Do
Intervals: advanced: So\Do, Do/Mi, Re/Fa, Fa\Re, Mi\Do, Re\Ti, Ti/Re, La\Re, Re/So, So\Mi, Mi/So, La/Do, Do\La, So\Re
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; tempo: cheerfully; horizontal accent (sing/play note a little louder) poco ritardando, a tempo, pickup beat, fermata, tied notes, dynamics: crescendo, decrescendo
Key Words: weather, earth science, rainbow, sun, rain, shinning, falling, calling, glorious, beauty, combining, painted, high, abbreviation: ev’ryone (everyone)

**“The Rainbow”**
Sun shinning, rain falling, And ev’ryone calling “Oh! look at the glorious sky!” For shower and shining In beauty combining, A rainbow have painted on high.

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Raining! Raining!

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
Fair Days and Stormy

Beginning rhythms lead to advanced intervals, including an ascending dominate octave skip.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: G Major
Time: 2/4
Form: AaBC
Rhythm: beginners: | ti ti ti ti | ti ti ta |
Pitches: intermediate: So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa So
Intervals: advanced: So\Do, Re\Ti, Re\So, So/So ascending dominate octave skip, Mi\Ti, Do/Mi, Re/Fa, Mi\Do
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth, octave skip, repeat signs
Key Words: weather, earth science, trees, grasses, roots, rain, sparrow, bathing pool, whispered, bright, cool, murmured, shouted, wear, rubber boots

**“Raining! Raining!”**

		1.	“Raining! raining!” sang the sparrow, “This will fill my bathing pool.” “Raining!” whispered all the flowers, “Now we shall be bright and cool.”

		2.	“Raining!” murmured trees and grasses, “Oh, how good for thirsty roots!” “Raining! raining!” shouted Johnnie, “I can wear my rubber boots!”

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Punchinella

Introducing syncopation with sixteenth notes.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: French Folk Song
Key: G Major
Time: 2/4
Form: AAAAaaaa
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ti ri_|_ta (1 2 & uh_|_1)
| ti ti ti ti ri_|_ta (1 & 2 & uh_|_1) | ti ti ti ti | ta ta |
(_=tie)
Pitches: beginners: So Do Re Mi
Intervals: beginners: Do/Mi, Mi\Do, Do\So, So/Do, reinforcing intervals and pitches of the tonic triad
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, eighth, sixteenth; rest: quarter; multiple repeat signs (4), syncopation
Key Words: play song, moving to music, moving to a steady beat, feeling syncopation, shoe, choose, which, too

**“Punchinella”**

		1.	Look who is here Punchinella, Punchinella Look who is here Punchinella in the shoe. Oh, What can you do, Punchinella, Punchinella What can you do, Punchinella in the shoe.

		2.	Oh, We can do it too Punchinella, Punchinella, We can do it too Punchinella in the shoe. Which one will you choose, Punchinella, Punchinella, Which one will you choose, Punchinella in the shoe?

			Game instructions: “Look who is here.” Students circle around one child, who is Punchinella. “What can you do?” Punchinella dances. “We can do it too.” Students imitate Punchinella’s dance. “Which one will you choose?” Punchinella closes eyes, spins, and chooses the next player.

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Prompt

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
At Home

Introducing the descending perfect fifth So\Do.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: E Flat Major
Time: 6/8
Form: ABCa
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta/ ta/ | ta/ (ta ti) |
| ta ti ta ti | ta/a (ti) ti) | ti ti ti ta ti | ta/a/ |
Pitches: intermediate: So Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La
Intervals: intermediate: So\Do, Re/So, La\Fa, So\Mi, Fa\Re, Mi/So, So\Ti
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rests: quarter, eighth; tempo: with spirit; dynamics: mezzo forte/medium loud; horizontal accent (sing/play the note a little louder, tied notes
Key Words: character education, waking up, nimble, jump, bed, first thing, rising-bell

**“Prompt”**
Ding, dong, bell! Nimble little Nell, She jumps out of bed the very first thing, As soon as she hears the rising-bell ring. Ding, dong, bell! Nimble little Nell.

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1st Grade