Do you have a difficult time getting your students to line up nicely and to stay quiet? The beginning of the year is the biggest challenge! One way to help your kids overcome behavior problems during transition times is to sing songs or chants. Children love music, and singing is a fun way to remind students of the rules in your classroom. Today I’m sharing five transition songs you can use to help your kids line up.
Transition Songs in the Classroom
There are several key benefits for using transition songs and chants in the classroom.
First, singing songs for transition time creates social cohesion for your classroom. These songs help students feel a sense of belonging at school.
Second, young children crave routines. When we use the same songs for transitions it provides a predictable routine that helps them feel safe and secure in their school environment. They’ll also better understand the expectations of your classroom, which is an additional bonus!
Third, singing helps calm children, it grabs their attention and makes them happy. Using songs for transitions is an easy way to add not only music, but also important skills like oral language and rhyming to your daily routine.
Classroom management in the early childhood classroom can be tricky, so you’ll want to plan in advance which transition songs and chants you’ll be using in your classroom.
The songs used in this free printable are either rhythmic chants or songs set to familiar tunes. You don’t need to be an amazing singer to sing these with your class!
Start by singing the tune to your class and teaching them the simple words. As you teach transitions to your students, make sure to praise children when you notice them singing or chanting along. Remember that children learn differently and you may have to teach these expectations in a variety of ways. One way is to use these printables as posters around the room. Even though your preschoolers may not be able to read yet, they can serve as a visual cue to remind them of the routine.
You can download this free printable here: Lining Up Transitions Printable.
It includes 5 different songs you can use in your classroom to help your kids line up like pros!
BIO: Angela is the writer and creator at Teaching Mama, where she shares hands-on learning activities for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. She is a former teacher, turned stay-at-home-mom to 3 wonderful boys. She is also the creator of the alphabet and shape formation rhymes, which you can find here. You can connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.
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