How Are You Today
Warm-up Song
This circle song is particularly useful at group time. It can be adapted to suit any group size, but the more children there are, the less time will be available for extension activities, so ten is the perfect number for this song.
Warm-up songs are a great way to welcome children into a space in a non-threatening way, and encourage them to engage in group activities at a pace that is comfortable for each child. They also introduce effective communication between the children and leader, promoting ownership and beginning to establish the rules of the group.
AREAS OF LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
– Making Relationships
– Self-confidence & Self-awareness
Communication and Language
– Speaking
RESOURCES
A large floor space
SONG WORDS
Hello everyone, hello everyone
How are you today?
Hello everyone, hello everyone
How are you today?
One, two, three, four, five
How are you today?
One, two, three, four, five
How are you today?
12-1 How Are You Today - Full Song
How to...
Step by step
1.Ensure the children are sitting comfortably in a good-sized circle, allowing sufficient space between each child so they do not feel claustrophobic, and can see each other clearly;
3.In the second part of the song, where the lyrics change to counting, try to encourage the children to clap along, raising their hands higher in the air with each clap.
12-2 How are you today - Clapping Rhythm Demonstration
2.Start singing the song, and if the children don’t join in straight away, encourage them to do so by chanting “ready, steady and off we go” before you repeat the song;
Extension & Development
1.Introduce a steady hand-beat to help keep time, and try to keep this going until the second part of the song (the section that starts 1,2,3,4,5). Start by simply clapping or patting along to the song. When the group have accomplished this, advance the exercise by getting the children to put their right hand into the circle, palm downwards, then place their left hand on top of their right. Keeping their hands in this position, get the children to move both hands together from one knee to the other in time to the music. They may struggle with this at first, but given time, this exercise will help develop coordination and concentration skills.
12-3 How Are You Today - Steady Beat
2.When the children are familiar with the song, start inserting their names into the verse and encourage them to introduce themselves when their name is sung. This exercise will develop over time; it is likely to begin with just a smile or a wave of acknowledgement, but can develop into making a sound, performing an action, or impersonating their favourite animal.
12-4 How Are You Today - Names
3.This song provides great scope for explaining the communication structure of a question followed by an answer. This is also a good opportunity to look at emotional awareness, and sensitivity to each other’s feelings. Ask the children how they are feeling and put their answers into the song.
12-5 How Are You Today - Feelings
Aspects
Early Learning Goals
Activity Contribution to Goals
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Making Relationships
1. Children play co-operatively, taking turns with others.
2. They take account of one another’s ideas about how to organise their activity.
3. They show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings, and form positive relationships with adults and other children.
Children are actively encouraged to sing each other’s names;
The song goes round the circle, and each child is invited to take part, so the exercise requires turn-taking;
The group is encouraged to be supportive of every member’s individual ideas and input.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Self-confidence & Self-awareness
1. Children are confident to try new activities, and say why they like some activities more than others.
2. They are confident to speak in a familiar group, will talk about their ideas, and will choose the resources they need for their chosen activities.
3. They say when they do or don’t need help.
Children are encouraged to introduce themselves within the group, and are praised for attempting this;
Children are encouraged to express their ideas out loud;
Children are asked to articulate how they are feeling and to incorporate this into the song.
Communication and Language
Speaking
1. Children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs.
2. They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future.
3. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events.
Children are asked to suggest vocabulary to put into the song;
Children are introduced to the concept of questions and answers.