Music Teaching Idea Display

Preschool/Kindergarten Graduation Song

Submitted by Amanda Thompson, Houston, Texas

Idea posted July 8, 2003

I was looking for graduation songs for my kinders and preschoolers and had this idea. My kids absolutely loved the song "One Zero Zero" (from Music K-8, Vol. 13, No. 3) when we did it for The 100th Day Of School, so I changed the words to make it appropriate for graduation. I taught it to my kids today, and they just loved it! Here are the words we're using and the motions my kinders helped me create:

Grad-u-a-tion! Grad-u-a-tion! Grad-u-a-tion!: Pat beat on legs.
Our graduation's here: Clapping on each syllable.
Grad-u-a-tion! Grad-u-a-tion! Grad-u-a-tion!: Pat beat on legs.
Our graduation's here: Clapping on each syllable.
So many days of learning: Hold out hands like a book.
So many days of knowing: Point to head.
So many days of trying: Hands on hips.
So many days of growing: Hands fan above head.
So many days of thinking: Rest head on fists, as in The Thinker.
So many days of training: Pump arms like running.
So many days of doing: Point in several places on the beat, like we're counting all of the things we've done.
So many days of gaining: Hands horizontal, move upwards on the beat.
GRAD-U-A-TION! YEAH!
Grad-u-a-tion! Grad-u-a-tion! Grad-u-a-tion!: Pat beat on legs.
Our graduation's here: Clapping on each syllable.
Grad-u-a-tion! Grad-u-a-tion! Grad-u-a-tion!: Pat beat on legs.
Our graduation's here: Clapping on each syllable.

Were also going to sing "Pass it Along" (from Music K-8, Vol. 13, No. 5) and dedicating it to our teachers and staff. We're making a slideshow of them to show during the song.