Songs before snack time

Dear Families,

Here are the words to the rhymes and songs we sing before snack time.  Many of the verses and songs I use come from Wilma Ellersiek.  In the 1950s, Ellersiek was alarmed as German kindergartens strove to keep up with America and became more academic.  She felt this cognitive pressure at a young age would have a negative effect on children as they grew up.  Ellersiek--who had been a music and drama and movement teacher at the university level--began to create a series of games and songs--some out of nonsense, some in imitation of nature--as an antidote to the stress of early academics.  Researchers in Germany soon discovered that academics too soon did not work to make strong students in later years, and play-centered kindergartens returned.  Ellersiek, however, continued her work.  She was a keen observer of nature and of children.

The story goes that in the Black Forest, Ellersiek (who initially had no affiliation with Waldorf education) net Klara Hatterman, who had been a Waldorf kindergarten teacher for decades.  The two hit it off at once, and Hatterman began bring Ellersiek games and rhymes not only to her own classroom, but also to other Waldorf early childhood teachers world wide.

There are now several books published in America that contain the songs and finger games of Wilma Ellersiek.  Ellersiek loved young children, and she was thorough.  Her directions are involved, even intimidating.  I find it easiest to learn the games with another adult guiding.  For this reason, I find it helpful for me to offer a number of Ellersiek games and rhymes in my classes.  Other traditional fingerplays and songs and verses are also wonderful, and one could teach a fantastic Waldorf parent & child class never using material from Ellersiek.  That being said, I find that young children tend to adore her games, and I find myself adding more and more of her verses to my repertoire as the years progress.

To read more about Wilma Ellersiek, visit this link.  You can also read more about her and Waldorf education in the Kathrine Dickerson Memorial Library (upstairs from our classroom).  As part of our classes, you are welcome to check out books for parents and children.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde