Follow Along

A Movement and Counting Song
Hap Palmer

This song is available on Hap Palmer's
One Little Sound: Fun with Phonics And Numbers .

Subject:
• Recognition of movement and counting patterns
• Development of coordination and motor skills
• Counting from 1 to 20, and counting by 4s
• Identifying loud and soft beats

Vocabulary:
pattern (a repeating arrangement) tap, pat, shake, touch, clap, whisper, hands, feet, knees, shoulders

Activity:
This song describes patterns of movement. We'll do each pattern first slowly, then faster, then combine the movement pattern with a counting pattern. You can create your own pattern of motions with the last verse.

Step in place, step again
Shake your hands high over your head
Step in place, step again
Shake your hands so high
Pick it up, quicker now, ready set go:
Step, step, shake your hands
Step, step, shake your hands
Step, step, shake your hands
Join the joyful song

Now let's count to sixteen
With the moves you've just seen
Following a pattern as we go:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Touch your knees, touch your shoulders
Touch your head and clap your hands
Touch your knees, touch your shoulders
Touch your head and clap
Pick it up, quicker now, ready set go:
Knees, shoulders, head, and clap
Knees, shoulders, head, and clap
Knees, shoulders, head, and clap
Join the joyful song

Now lets count to twenty, whispering the first three
Shouting every fourth beat as we go
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Now this time it's your turn, you create a pattern.
Something we could follow as we go

Follow Up:
• Create your own pattern or sequence of movements. Examples:
• Jump, jump - clap, clap, clap,
• Down, up, turn around,

• Create a pattern that travels. Examples:
• Jump - jump - run, run, run
• 3 soft steps, 1 loud step

• Find your own counting pattern. Examples: count by 2s, 5s, 10s
• Sing this song with the instrumental version (#19) using your ideas.

Book Suggestions for this Song: