Title: Oats and Beans and Barley Grow
Performer: School Children
Culture: English
Orchestration: Voice with movement
I found this video a couple of weeks ago and just love it. I have always taught Oats and Beans and Barley Grow to my older students with recorders and with my instrumental students, but I never knew the whole song and I had no idea there was movement to go with this classic song. I love teaching songs with my little ones that I can then use in a different way when they are older and I think this one will be added this year. My little ones love to learn songs that have a game to go along with them and I think that this "game" goes right along with role play and socialization. At least for my little ones the socialization of this song is wonderful. The leader in the middle as to choose a partner quickly or the song does't work and then continue to choose different partners each time. My students have a difficult time when playing this type of game because they are always looking for their friends and then slow down the game. I think this would be a great beginning of the year ice breaker because if really does force the students to meet many children. Plus they are acting out the role of the farmer which with the types of items the farmer is planting my students would need an explanation of what they are (I teach inner city elementary students) so I like how they act that part out in the song. I'm not sure how I would end the game though. There would always be students that don't get chosen for the center ring, and I know my students would have difficulty not being in the middle which does help teach how both parts of the circle are equally important to the game. I was thinking that the one student left would be the leader in the next game, but that does;t really work because there would always be more than one student left. Oh how hard in is to please everyone so no one feels like they are left out.
Thank you for posting this. I remember singing this song in elementary school, but we didn’t learn the accompanying game. I found a few different videos of children singing this song and performing movements, but only one with an organized game involving partners. Did you find a description of how it works?
ReplyDeleteIt would be difficult to make sure everyone was picked.
I started singing this song to my 2-year-old daughter this morning. Her face lit up and she started singing along! “Do it again, Papa!”
I, too, remember doing this song in elementary school! We did accompanying hand signs; however, I can't remember exactly what they were. I think that it is awesome that even though teaching is constantly evolving, classic songs are still being used to promote socialization and citizenship. The way we teach may change, but the positive subjects in the music are still important!
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