Lit Lesson: The Jigaree

I completely lucked out with this book! I found it in a “free” pile from the library and it is PERFECT for blending rhythm reading and locomotor movements. I use it with quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests.

The book is a “read-together book” from the 80’s and is very simple. The format of the book is,

I can see a jigaree. 
It is (locomotor motion)ing after me.

(LM motion)ing here, (LM motion)ing there, 
jigarees (locomotor motion) everywhere.

The book can be found here. It is out of print, but there are used copies available. If that isn’t your cup of tea, you could easily use the chant with a different animal.

First, we read the book. Then we go through the locomotor motions listed in the book. Next, we add our own locomotor motions. I have a movement wall that they can use as a starting point.

Once we have the movement portion of the game down, instruments are added in. I have a big set of rhythm cards that each have four beats of rhythm. We take one, students have a short amount of time to figure the rhythm out, and then we play the rhythm on instruments. For this activity I use tubanos or frame drums, but we do similar activities on many kinds of instruments and body percussion. Kids are used to rhythm-reading before we add in the book and movement. Through one activity or another, students have read each rhythm card before.

Once we are ready to put everything together, I split up the class. I usually have 5-7 on instruments, one conductor, and everyone else moving. Most of the instrument group are on tubanos, but one will be on finger cymbals.

During the chant portion of the book, the student conductor shows a rhythm card to the kids on drums. Students on tubanos have time during the chant to practice the rhythm. After the chant, the students on tubanos play the rhythm they have been assigned until one student, on the finger cymbals, signals them to stop. The movers also have to stop when they hear the finger cymbals.

After a round, the conductor and one of the tubano students switch groups and are replaced by new students. This is a great opportunity for small group assessment, both for movement and rhythm reading.