Riddle Riddle Ree

Yesterday at the training I did Riddle Riddle Ree as an attention getter. I didn't plan that, so it wasn't in your packets. (I learned this from Susan Kenney, and she attributes it to Grace Nash.)

Here are the words and actions:

Riddle riddle riddle ree
Do what I do after me.

Stamp clap stamp clap
Sway sway (hands overhead swaying to the right, then left)

Touch your toes touch your nose
Round in a circle each one goes

Bow nice bow twice
Bend down low and plant some rice

Lift your arms up to the sky
Shake them out as moonbeams die

Clap your hands stamp your feet
Cymbal crash and that's complete.

I'd like to point out a few things about how I taught Riddle Ree yesterday. It was ~4pm, and many of you were visiting or coming in still. I don't have a loud voice, so attention getters like this are great for me. 

To start riddle ree, I didn't give any prior directions, I just began the poem. I expected that it might take half of the poem to get your attention. I expected that initially one or two might join in, and as you heard what was happening the rest of you would gradually join in. I expected that you might be confused and not know what to do right away. I trusted that what I was doing would be interesting enough that your brains would figure it out, and that you would join in my "game" over continuing your conversation.

When we teach music without a lot of verbal instruction, we lose management problems. Instead of struggling to wait for children to stop talking, we are all engaged and in a positive learning experience. We can cover more material in less time if we can learn to talk less as teachers, and if we use the music itself as our management tool. 

I would introduce Riddle Riddle Ree to children the exact same way. So often we think we need to explain everything before we do it. One of the great beauties of music is that music is inherently organized. We'll feel a bit confused initially, but it's a good confusion, and our brains will learn and grow from working through the confusion to create order. 

I did quickly go into the "round" version of Riddle Ree. I would not have done that so quickly with children, but I wanted you to get to the experience.

Give it a try, and let us know how it went!