piggy on the railway-the new ding dong bell - Podar Jumbo Kids Plus

Vision by - Dr. Pavan PodarThis book is dedicated to the innocence in little children. This bookis dedicated to all parents and teachers to understand that everysong, every story, every interaction with children can have alasting effect on their life values, so we need to be careful andrework certain traditional forms that we are using in ourkindergartens, afterall it takes a village to raise a child.PiggyOnTheRailway...Revisited"Songs and rhymes" are an essential part of early language experiences for infants andtoddlers, and include making, listening to, and reacting to sounds and also engaging inspoken language experiences such as 'made up songs', or listening to songs and rhymes.Problematic language in nursery rhymes.By today's standards, many traditional Mother Goose-type nursery rhymes can seemviolent, racist, sexist, or ageist. The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe is far from a lovingmother, and Old Mother Hubbard has only a bone for her starving dog. In fact, traditionalpoems and songs in many cultures have elements that are of questionable appropriatenessfor young children.Even though infants and toddlers will not understand many of the words or fullycomprehend the messages, teachers and parents should be selective in their choice ofrhymes to share or use with children.It seems unnecessary and unwise to reject all nursery rhymes onthe basis of a few, especially if verses can be altered slightly tomake the words, theme, or message more acceptable. Piggy onthe Railway for example - the engine driver in <strong>piggy</strong> on the railwaycan say, “I will take more care”, instead of saying, “I don't care” andinstead of, ‘The cat fell into the well’, we can say ‘The cat hassomething to tell’.As part of their project- 'AVISHKAR- Change and Creativity in Childhood', the level 3children (age 5) of Podar Jumbo Kids Plus, along with their teachers worked on changingsome common songs and rhymes and make them more healthy for childhood.Enjoy this booklet that has -Piggy On The Railway... Revisited and The New Ding DongBell did not fall, written by the kids, illustrated by the kids to make this world a better placefor you, me and the entire human race…………. Swati Popat Vats-Director.Email: talktous@podar.orgThe NewDing Dong Bell

Podar Jumbo Kids Plus-IShift B. Level 3. Div K-DPodar Jumbo Kids Plus-IShift B. Level 3. Div K-CMelanie MathiasPedagogistDevangi LodayaSupervisorSheetal MehtaMain TeacherGopika KhandwalaAss TeacherYogita PatilDidiMelanie MathiasPedagogistDevangi LodayaSupervisorN.SunithaMain TeacherPoonam KareliaAsst TeacherSamidha MunjDidiVivaan SanghviViraj SinhaViraj ParekhShreya PrasadSana MaganShrey LakhaniShanit GhoseRohan ShirodkarRehaan RamsinghaniaNaisha ThakkarRuhaan DoshyPehel KeniaMehak Gala Khwaahish Shah Aarav PatelMoksh PuriMahema SinghKunj PatelKrrish GuptaKhwaish ChhabraJiya KherIshaan ChakHaaziq KhanDiya PurohitAnand GopalakrishnanKhayal ShahKavita BallaniFarish PradhanDeeyan ParswaniAnokkhi ShahKadesh VermaAryan KadamAnjali BordaAnaita KhatriVea JainTejas Chakrabarti

Why did we want to changePiggy on the Railway?Such an innocent rhyme but look at the mean behavior lurking in it. Anengine driver hurts a <strong>piggy</strong> and then says, “I don't care!” This song is sung atan age when we are trying to teach kids 'manners'. So, aren't we justconfusing them with the contradictions?At Podar Jumbo Kids Plus conflict resolution skills are given due importanceto teach kids and teachers that there is always a solution to every problem.And ‘Discussion starters’ help in identifying the problem and then probing forthe solutions. Solutions that are acceptable to the whole group.While discussing Piggy on the Railway, it was surprising to realize that mostof the kids blamed the <strong>piggy</strong> for being in the way. Yes, the <strong>piggy</strong> was wrongto be picking up stones on the railway tracks; but, does that mean the enginedriver has to be mean and not say sorry?Old versionPiggy OnThe Railway‘Discussion starters’ help us identify the cobwebs in our value system, in ourthinking styles and then help us see more clearly what is the right way. Andthat's exactly what emerged from this ‘Discussion starter’; an engine driverwho was sensitive and said, “sorry” and yes the <strong>piggy</strong> too should not crosson the railway track!Enjoy these little new rhymes.Notice the Documentation in the DrawingsYou will notice that all the children’s drawingshave comments written by the Teacher. This iscalled Documentation-a Practice adopted by usfrom Reggio schools where a teacher ask thechild about the drawings and then writes downall points that were mentioned by the child.

Piggy on the RailwayPicking up stones;

Down came an engine,And broke Piggy's bones.‘Ah!' said Piggy,“That's not fair”“Oh!” said the engine driver,“I don't care!”

Why did we want to changePiggy on the Railway?Such an innocent rhyme but look at the mean behavior lurking in it. Anengine driver hurts a <strong>piggy</strong> and then says, “I don't care!” This song is sung atan age when we are trying to teach kids 'manners'. So, aren't we justconfusing them with the contradictions?At Podar Jumbo Kids Plus conflict resolution skills are given due importanceto teach kids and teachers that there is always a solution to every problem.And ‘Discussion starters’ help in identifying the problem and then probing forthe solutions. Solutions that are acceptable to the whole group.While discussing Piggy on the Railway, it was surprising to realize that mostof the kids blamed the <strong>piggy</strong> for being in the way. Yes, the <strong>piggy</strong> was wrongto be picking up stones on the railway tracks; but, does that mean the enginedriver has to be mean and not say sorry?‘Discussion starters’ help us identify the cobwebs in our value system, in ourthinking styles and then help us see more clearly what is the right way. Andthat's exactly what emerged from this ‘Discussion starter’; an engine driverwho was sensitive and said, “sorry” and yes the <strong>piggy</strong> too should not crosson the railway track!Level 3Rework‘Change and Creativity’to CreatePiggy OnThe RailwayEnjoy these little new rhymes.Notice the Documentation in the DrawingsYou will notice that all the children’s drawingshave comments written by the Teacher. This iscalled Documentation-a Practice adopted by usfrom Reggio schools where a teacher ask thechild about the drawings and then writes downall points that were mentioned by the child.

Piggy on the Railway,Picking up stones;

Down came an engine,And broke Piggy's bones.'Ah!' said Piggy,“That's not fair”“Sorry!” said the engine driver,“I will take more care.”

Why did we want to changeDing Dong Bell?A nursery rhyme, that talks about a cat being pushed into a well;and who was to be blamed for it? A fat little boy! The rhyme notonly teaches kids to be cruel to animals but also somewhereplants the seeds of fat and thin in the minds of children and thus,starting kids off on a foundation of bias where looks areconcerned.Values and morals cannot be taught to young children, they needto imitate them from others. Unknowingly we are teaching themabout and exposing them to many unwanted acts of violence, andsocial bias, through the stories and songs that we sing to them inschools or as bed time stories.Old versionDing Dong Bell‘Discussion starters’ help kids understand and question the wrongand replace with the right. And that's exactly what the kids ofLevel 3 did with these two rhymes, we discussed its relevance togood and bad and then identified what needed to be changedand had fun playing with words to find the replacements.So, it was a value education session and a language session allrolled into one. Come enjoy the new versions of both thesepreschool favourites and help kids grow up with healthy valuesand language skills.Notice the Documentation in the DrawingsYou will notice that all the children’s drawingshave comments written by the Teacher. This iscalled Documentation-a Practice adopted by usfrom Reggio schools where a teacher ask thechild about the drawings and then writes downall points that were mentioned by the child.

Ding dong bell,The cat is in the well.Who put her in? Little Johnny Green.

Who pulled her out?Little Tommy Stout.What a naughty boy was that,To try to drown the poor cat.

Why did we want to changeDing Dong Bell?A nursery rhyme, that talks about a cat being pushed into a well;and who was to be blamed for it? A fat little boy! The rhyme notonly teaches kids to be cruel to animals but also somewhereplants the seeds of fat and thin in the minds of children and thus,starting kids off on a foundation of bias where looks areconcerned.Values and morals cannot be taught to young children, they needto imitate them from others. Unknowingly we are teaching themabout and exposing them to many unwanted acts of violence, andsocial bias, through the stories and songs that we sing to them inschools or as bed time stories.‘Discussion starters’ help kids understand and question the wrongand replace with the right. And that's exactly what the kids ofLevel 3 did with these two rhymes, we discussed its relevance togood and bad and then identified what needed to be changedand had fun playing with words to find the replacements.So, it was a value education session and a language session allrolled into one. Come enjoy the new versions of both thesepreschool favourites and help kids grow up with healthy valuesand language skills.Level 3Rework‘Change and Creativity’to CreateThe NewDing Dong BellNotice the Documentation in the DrawingsYou will notice that all the children’s drawingshave comments written by the Teacher. This iscalled Documentation-a Practice adopted by usfrom Reggio schools where a teacher ask thechild about the drawings and then writes downall points that were mentioned by the child.

Ding dong bell,The cat has something to tell.Never pull my tail,

And throw no stones at me.Treat me with love and,I will help you keep the mice away.