All of our All The Doo Dah Day early childhood sessions begin with a hello song “All The Doo Dah Day” sung to the tune of "Campdown Ladies" where we welcome each child by name. The children each wait patiently for their turns. This exercise enables the presenter to get to know the children and for them to begin to form a trusting, safe and secure relationship with their new educator.
In 2017, we introduced egg shakers to accompany the singing which the children love. These small instruments allow the children to explore percussive instruments and rhythm, whilst at the same time strengthening their fine motor skills and muscle strength. They are also a great way of engaging children especially those who speak little English or who are pre-verbal. Through our Hello song, we learn the concept of “Off” or in musical terms “Rest” which works on the children’s listening skills and is also a behaviour management tool which can be used throughout the lesson. Even babies have grasped the concept of “Off” very quickly.
At the end of each session we sing a goodbye song in Hebrew called "Shalom Chaverim" which translates as “goodbye my friends, until we meet again”. This provides a sense of routine and security for the children, helps with their verbal expression skills and engenders a sense of awareness of diversity and other cultures. The goodbye song is also very soothing which provides a nice sense of calm after an often high energy session.
Having a set Hello and Goodbye song during sessions provides a comforting routine for children and repetition helps to cement their learning.
