Strategy
Song Activities for Preschool & Kindergarten: Alphabet, Sight Words, Science & More
Activities for teaching braille and other concepts through songs and videos.
Teachers working with young students often incorporate fun songs and videos to reinforce concepts. Students who are visually impaired typically love music, especially music with a strong beat. Recently, I began looking for simple songs and/or videos with songs that reinforce preschool and kindergarten goals such as learning letters in the alphabet, phonetics and sight words. Have Fun Teaching has numerous free, energizing song videos that cover a wide range of topics geared for preschool and kindergarten students. There are song videos for each letter in the alphabet, for each common sight word, and on various topics such as counting, shapes, science, etc. Let’s take a look at a couple of these videos!
Letter A song video
The Letter A video is a phonics and ABC song with an invigorating beat.
Letter A Braille Activities
- Identify the letter A: Use braille flashcards (one braille letter on an index card) and have the student find and hold up the letter A to the beat of the music when A is said.
- Modification short & long A: Use a flashcard with a braille A and another flashcard with a capital A. Student holds up the correct card to the beat of the music or slap the correct card to the beat of the music (long and short A sounds).
- Modification A words: Create Flashcards with the A song words: cat, hat, nap, lap, snake, brave, game, rain
- Braille Practice: Using a Perkins brailler or refreshable braille display, braille the letter A each time the song says A (braille to the beat). Encourage the student to braille quickly and stay on the beat!
- Modification Braille words: After practicing brailling the words, ask the student to braille the A words in the song – can the student braille fast enough to keep up with the song?
- Reading Braille: Student reads the song lyrics while listening to the song. Provide a paper braille copy of the lyrics or use a refreshable braille display and a digital copy.
All Song (Sight Word Song Video)
The All Song teaches the sight word ALL by repeating the sight word, spelling the sight word and using the sight word in sentences.
Sight Word ALL Activities
- Identify the sight word All: Use braille sight word flashcards and have the student locate and hold up the ALL flashcard to the beat.
- Braille Practice: Ask the student to braille the word ALL one time (during the All, All, All refrain) and try quickly brailling the word each time it is spelled out.
- Modification: Some of the sight word songs have sight words that are contracted in braille. Can the student braille the contraction during the first refrain and braille the word out when the word is spelled?
- Braille Reading: Provide the sentences in braille (paper or digital copy with a refreshable braille display). Can the student find the corresponding sentence during the song?
- Braille Reading: Provide the lyrics in braille (paper or digital copy with a refreshable braille display). Have the student follow along with the song.
Planets Song
The Planets Song is a science song that teaches the planets in our solar system. (Remember: Pluto is now labeled as a dwarf planet.)
Share how YOU use these exciting videos!
To view the HUGE list of song videos and songs, go to Have Fun Teaching’s YouTube channel or visit their website.
Attached File(s)
https://www.perkins.org/sites/elearning.perkinsdev1.org/files/Letter%20A%20Song%20Lyrics.docx https://www.perkins.org/sites/elearning.perkinsdev1.org/files/All%20Song%20Lyrics.docx https://www.perkins.org/sites/elearning.perkinsdev1.org/files/Planets%20Song%20Lyrics.docx
By Diane Brauner
