Talking & Listening Kids Activities Thousands of teachers worldwide have learned how fun and helpful it can be to have Happy Kids Songs in their classrooms. These full-production songs are both highly entertaining and age appropriate adult quality music, but with words and themes that tap into the most common issues confronting young kids. The variety of adult and child soloists, children s chorus, and wide range of instruments and styles of music easily hold children s attention, and adults too. I have your materials available for my team consulting with schools. There is nothing better as far as I am concerned. Thanks, and keep up the marvelous, inspiring work!!! --Maurice Elias, Ph.D. & Author of Educator s Guide to Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement Hundreds of studies have shown the beneficial effects of teaching social and emotional skills, even on academic performance. Music has been shown to be an effective, almost magical medium for teaching these skills--a fun way to make the medicine go down. Winner of a Teacher s Choice and numerous other awards, we are in an effort to comply with and enhance the Common Core Standards. Research on these songs and activities has shown: Children make significant improvements in behaviors such as being helpful, staying on task, and understanding and using the Golden Rule. They learn new skills to better approach their peers and gain more effective tools for dealing with teasing and bullying. Kids are better able to resolve conflicts with others by learning to talk things out. Lessons about feelings give kids the words to use when sad, mad or frustrated. As kids develop a more positive attitude and self-confidence, they also are far more likely to encourage others to do their best. And as far as academics are concerned, happy kids learn better! Most of us still remember the words to songs from our childhood. Don t you still sing the ABC song in your head when you re trying to remember alphabetical order? This is the magic of music. It lights up over a dozen areas in the brain, reinforcing concepts across multiple intelligences. There may be no more powerful method of learning than through music, and no more important lessons for children than those that focus on character and social and emotional skills. The following are lyrics and activity pages to help reinforce the key concepts in each song. Feel free to print them out, make copies, and share with others. If you like this, you should check out: Happy Kids Songs Workbook: Hands-on Activities to Build Social, Emotional and Character Skills This -page activity book includes the kids lyrics and coloring pages from all 8 of the KidsEPs albums plus adds more than a hundred lessons and activities for parents and teachers to share with kids. (Available at Amazon.com)
Talk It Out It s a magical moment, just like a miracle s occurred, It s a magical moment, whenever everyone feels heard. Instead of how we blame, or turn and walk away, Instead of calling names, or pretending that it s all okay. Instead of how we frown, or make a yucky face Why don t we look around and find a magic place, and Chorus: Sit down and talk it out Yeah, sit down and talk it out, Cause what s been missin is a little listening, So come on and talk it out. Instead of how we shout when I become a basket case, Why don t we work it out, face to face, and Chorus It s a magical moment, just like a miracle s occurred, It s a magical moment, whenever everyone feels heard. Instead of how we fight, instead of how we fear, We can make things right if we can lend an ear. Chorus Come on and talk it out, We ll see what we ve been missin When we begin to listen. Come on and talk it out.
Can you unscramble these words? lkta thuso reha stneli mslei cefa Answers: talk, shout, hear, listen, smile, face Talk it Out
Say Whatcha Gotta Say I m in a mood, I m in a mood. Stuck in a rut with an attitude. I m in a mood, I m in a mood today. Say, what s with you? What s up with you today? Come play your tune, say whatcha gotta say. Fine. I m in a funk, I m in the blues, you can call it junk, you can call it news But this afternoon my friends and I were fine, When one of my friends, I heard her say to another girl who passed our way She said some stuff that really crossed the line. Say, what s with you? What s up with you today? Come play your tune, say whatcha gotta say. What do I do, I m in a fix? Saturday night and almost six, So many things to do, I can t decide. One of my friends was all about Let s go to the mall and just hang out, But my momma said no way, but at least I tried. Say, what s with you? What s up with you today? Come play your tune, say whatcha gotta say. I m in a mood, I m in a mood. Stuck in a rut with an attitude. I m in a mood, I m in a mood today. I m in a mood, I m in a mood. I guess you could call it an attitude. Cause a friend of mine just called and picked a fight. Now I m stuck, I m in a rut, wanna call her back and say What s what? So hold me back, or I just might. Say, what s with you? What s up with you today? Come play your tune, say whatcha gotta say. I m in a mood, I m in a mood. Stuck in a rut with an attitude. I m in a mood, I m in a mood today. Say whatcha gotta say.
Write in the thought bubble what you think the boy might be feeling. Then color the picture. Say Watcha Gotta Say
At the Same Time You can chew your gum and be thinking At the same time, And you can fool someone and be winking At the same time But if you want to communicate, Take a breath; try to wait Cause you can t be talking and listening At the same time, at the same time. Yeah, you can walk and be whistling At the same time And you can hug and be kissing At the same time. But if communicating s your trip, Put your finger to your lip, Cause you can t be talking and listening At the same time. You re both gonna win, or you re both gonna lose, The decision is yours, you ve just got to choose. And I know you can change, and that s the good news, Cause you ve just got a case of the listening blues. You can walk and be whistling At the same time And you can hug and still be kissing, yeah At the same time. But if communicating s your trip, Put your finger to your lip, Because you can t be talking and listening At the same time, at the same time.
To communicate means to share ideas, information, or feelings with others. It s how people let each other know what they think, how they feel, and the questions they have. Good communicators don t just send these messages they receive them, too. That means listening when someone is talking, reading what someone has written, and more. There are lots of ways to send and receive messages. Put an X next to all the ways you have communicated. Add any other ways you can think of. talking writing or reading a note or letter writing or reading a poem or story sending or receiving email reading a newspaper or magazine playing a musical instrument sky writing waving to someone s miling, frowning, or other facial Circle the pictures below that show people communicating with one another. Below each picture, write what might be getting communicated. expressions using sign language giving a hug crying At the Same Time
Talkin About Talkin There s an old way of talkin that we all know We should have gotten rid of years ago. It starts with thinking we know where it s at, That we ve got the truth; we ve got the facts. Well, the second step in this silly game Is to use some words that really blame, Like always and forever. But worst of all is the word never. We know what you mean like You never do this. You never do that. You re always sharp. You re always flat. I waited forever for you to come. Well, you re just always acting dumb. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, words like that as you can see, Just don t fit with reality. If you want to be clever, you ll never say never, Always, or forever. But, if exaggerating is all you ve got, It s better than nothing, by a lot. But if you want to be heard instead of pushing away, Then watch your words and what you say. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So take a moment and search your soul. If you decide that your real goal Is getting along instead of getting by, Then start a sentence with the word I. You can start with I think. Then say what you think. Say I feel. Then say what you feel. Say I want. Then say what you want. It s a new way of talkin. You can start with I think. Then say what you think. Say I feel. Then say what you feel. Say I want. Then say what you want. We re talkin about talkin. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Draw faces to show the feeling listed under each head. Then write a letter to tell a friend how you feel. You might say what a good friend the person is to you, sharing some things that you like about him or her. Joyful Scared Surprised Happy Sad Angry Talkin About Talkin
Don t Say Maybe Walking home the other day I met a friend, And I asked if she could play, then asked again, Cause I thought she hadn t heard from looks she gave me. So I asked her again, and she said, Well, maybe. Chorus: When I hear maybe, it drives me crazy. Why don t you tell me there s just no way? Lay it on me straight, without the gravy. Say what you gotta say, But don t say maybe again. My brother Bob Just bought a new guitar. He s not a snob, But he thinks that he s a star. And when I asked if I could play it, He said, Uh, maybe. Though I tried not to swear, The devil made me. Chorus Nobody said life is easy. That s what I hear all the time. But if I had a wish, It would please me If they made saying maybe a crime. Chorus
Use this code to color the picture: green, purple, orange, red, yellow Don t Say Maybe