This song is available on Hap Palmer's One Little Sound: Fun with Phonics and Numbers.
Subject:
Dividing words into syllables
Counting from 1 to 8
Number sound correspondence
Vocabulary:
chunk (a syllable), chickadee (one of a group of small birds with a black head and throat, gray wings,
and white feathers on its underside), kookaburra (an Australian bird that makes a loud cackling sound l
ike the sound of someone laughing), koala (an Australian animal that looks like a small bear but is actually
a marsupial and lives in eucalyptus trees.) abracadabra, alligator, refrigerator
Activity:
This song starts with a short verse which sets a scene or tells a story. This is followed by a question
which is repeated 3 times. Next, a word is slowly divided into "chunks" or syllables.
1. Sing the question which repeats 3 times.
2. Hold up fingers as each "chunk" or syllable is slowly spoken.
3. Count the number of fingers you are holding up and call out the number
of chunks before the children on the recording give the answer.
Variations:
Clap as you sing the questions, and jump as you chant each chunk.
(For older children)
1. While singing the question, estimate the number of chunks.
2. Before the word is said slowly, hold up fingers to show your answer.
3. As we slowly count the chunks, you are free to change your answers whenever you wish.
Said the chickadee to the chipmunk
"Tweedle-dee howdy doo
It's a beautiful day for singing a song
Here's a little tune about you"
How many chunks do you hear in chipmunk?
How many chunks do you hear in chipmunk?
How many chunks do you hear in chipmunk?
Say it slowly
CHIP - MUNK ... Two! (chip-muhnk)
How many chunks do you hear in chickadee?
How many chunks do you hear in chickadee?
How many chunks do you hear in chickadee?
Say it slowly
CHICK - A - DEE ... Three! (chik-uh-dee)
Said the kookaburra to koala
"Abracadabra, fly with me"
And the furry little friend began to fly
With a rolly polly tee hee hee
How many chunks do you hear in kookaburra?
How many chunks do you hear in kookaburra?
How many chunks do you hear in kookaburra?
Say it slowly
KOOK - A - BUR - RA ... Four! (kuk-uh-bur-uh)
How many chunks in abracadabra?
How many chunks in abracadabra?
How many chunks in abracadabra?
Say it slowly
AB - RA - CA - DAB - RA ... Five! (ab-ruh-cuh-dab-ra)
There's an alligator in my refrigerator,
Eating all my food
But I don't care, I like those words
So I'm in a happy mood
How many chunks do you hear in alligator?
How many chunks do you hear in alligator?
How many chunks do you hear in alligator?
Say it slowly
AL - LI - GA - TOR ... Four! (al-i-gay-tur)
How many chunks do you hear in refrigerator?
How many chunks do you hear in refrigerator?
How many chunks do you hear in refrigerator?
Say it slowly
RE - FRIG - ER - A - TOR ... Five! (ri-frij-uh-ray-tur)
Said the chipmunk to the chickadee
"Skidamarinkadinkadoo"
"It's a beautiful day for singing a song
Here's a little tune for you"
How many chunks in skidamarinkadinkadoo?
How many chunks in skidamarinkadinkadoo?
How many chunks in skidamarinkadinkadoo?
Say it slowly
SKI - DA - MA - RINK - A - DINK - A - DOO ... Eight!
Skidamarinkadinkadink, skidamarinkadoo, I Love You
Skidamarinkadinkadink, skidamarinkadoo, I Love You
I love you in the morning and in the afternoon
I love you in the evening and underneath the moon
Oh, Skidamarinkadinkadink, skidamarinkadinkadoo,
I Love You, I Love You
Follow Up:
Who can think of a 2 syllable word? . . . a 3 syllable word? . . a 4 syllable word? . . . You can also make up
a word like rockatockamongo.
We can sing this song using your ideas. We need 2 words for each verse and we can included the names
of the children who suggest the words. For example:
Said Marion and Wesley,
"Tweedle-dee howdy doo
It's a beautiful day for singing a song
Here's some words for you
Here are the number of syllable we need, to fit in each verse:
Verse 1 - a 2 syllable word and a 3 syllable word
Verse 2 - a 4 syllable word and a 5 syllable word
Verse 3 - a 4 syllable word and a 5 syllable word
Verse 6 - a 6, 7, or 8 syllable word
(For younger children, just use the first 1 or 2 verses)
