Guest Posted March 13, 2010 Posted March 13, 2010 We were lucky enough to be given one of these by our LA on some training, but I'm ashamed to say I haven't made good use of it as yet. I'm looking to buy another as we have two L&S groups at a time and I want to get one of the books and CDs to support my staff in using them. Does anyone use them and if so can you recommend which book and CD to get to start off with? Thanks
HappyMaz Posted March 13, 2010 Posted March 13, 2010 We have used our Beat Baby for several years now, but the only book I use is the one supplied with our original beat baby: "Helping Children With Steady Beat". It has lots of different chants, all coded so that we know which ones are suitable for use with our children (between two and five). Our children love Beat Baby sessions - and our Beat Baby is especially magical since it changes colour every week. Maz
Inge Posted March 13, 2010 Posted March 13, 2010 (edited) look here for some resources for beat baby... we had books and cds to use our children loved rapping to some of the other CDs on the site.. and there was one we had from there which had nursery rhymes as raps.. Inge Edited March 13, 2010 by Inge
Guest Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 Whilst clearing out the clutter I've discovered quite a bit of beat baby stuff, but having never heard of it before its been consigned to the "I'll read it in the summer" pile - is it good? How do people use it? Should it be promoted to my "read over Easter" pile?
mundia Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 Ros Bayley wrote a little piece for cbeebies about steady beat and why it matters. Lucyhobbit, Id definitely put it in your 'read over easter' pile. I think using steady beat activities comes from understanding why you do it so if you have some reading material, Im sure you will want to have a go in the summer term.
Guest Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 My children love Beat Baby. We have the same book as HappyMaz and I have found that there is plenty of material in there to keep you going. I use the simplified hello and goodbye rhymes with my nursery children which are much easier for them to join in with. I have thought about buying some of the other materials so will be interested to hear recommendations. Love the idea of Beat Baby changing colour!! We have 3 at school so may try swapping them around for interest. Thanks for that!
HappyMaz Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 Love the idea of Beat Baby changing colour!! We have 3 at school so may try swapping them around for interest. Thanks for that! Three? We just have the one! It does add an extra dimension to our sessions - the children really enjoy discussing what colour she might be this week. Some of the parents are mystified, too! Maz
Guest Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 We have a beat baby in the cupboard and I have no idea how to use it. Can anyone help? Thank you Scottiedog
HappyMaz Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 Here's a rough outline of how my session runs. Children and adults sit in a circle (on chairs in our case). Adult has beat baby in its box (ours lives in a gold Ikea gift box, wrapped in a chiffon scarf). At the beginning of the session, BB sits under the adult's chair. The adult then leads a silent game of Simon Says with actions whereby the childrenlook at what the grown up is doing, and copies. The last action is always putting hands in the air, waving them about a bit and then bringing them down to sit on the knees. That gets us in the right frame of mind to begin. We start with a chant in order to get the beat going, and when BB hears a good beat, she is ready to come out of her box. Ours is "Beat baby, beat baby where are you? Beat baby, beat baby we love you" We clap on every syllable except the 'by' in 'baby'. The adult takes BB out of the box - in our case first pausing to ask the children to speculate what colour beat baby will be this week. Then we decide which rhymes to chant, and the adult explains which direction we're travelling in, and remind the children what ideas they need to think of in order to complete our chosen rhyme. The adult always starts the rhyme to model what the children need to do, and when the rhyme is completed, Beat baby is passed to the child and the adult asks what their idea is. We only use three rhymes - so children either have to think of an animal, something to buy at the shop, or somewhere to visit. Beat baby is passed around from child to child, with the adult encouraging each child to think of something to complete the chant. When beat baby comes back to the adult there may be time for another chant, or it may be time to say goodbye. We finish with a chant which enables each child to say goodbye - We chant "one, two three and pass it on" and whilst we chant 'one two three', the child can give beat baby a cuddle or a kiss, and when we say 'pass it on', the child must pass beat baby onto the next child. When beat baby comes back to the adult, her tail is carefully wrapped around her body, wrapped up in the scarf and placed back in her box. Depending on the age and stage of the group of children, we might introduce extra 'rules' such as that beat baby will only sit on the lap of a child who is clapping and joining in the chant, or that each child has to think of something different to complete the chant. Hope that helps Maz
Guest Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 ooh definitely promoted to the "let's see all the bits and pieces and pay attention pile!"
mundia Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 Good to see it working its way up the pile then Lucy!
Guest Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 Thank you HappyMaz I can't wait to get started. Will get it all ready for next week.
dublinbay Posted March 15, 2010 Posted March 15, 2010 We have a beat baby somewhere and initially we used it quite a bit. Your post has given me a new zest for reintroducing it to our circle time Maz....thanks!
Guest Posted March 15, 2010 Posted March 15, 2010 Three? We just have the one! It does add an extra dimension to our sessions - the children really enjoy discussing what colour she might be this week. Some of the parents are mystified, too! Maz How?? How does it change colour? I too am completely mystified!!
Inge Posted March 15, 2010 Posted March 15, 2010 (edited) How?? How does it change colour? I too am completely mystified!! think Maz was being very tongue in cheek there... as far as the children are concerned they think there is just one.. but she has several to rotate... we had three in the end.. LEA gave us 2 and we already had 1 .. Inge Edited March 15, 2010 by Inge
HappyMaz Posted March 15, 2010 Posted March 15, 2010 as far as the children are concerned they think there is just one.. but she has several to rotate... Some people just have no soul. Inge is quite right though, as usual! We do indeed have several: red, blue, yellow, purple and a lovely orang-utan too! Maz
Guest Posted March 15, 2010 Posted March 15, 2010 We are Beat Baby fans too! We just love them. We have a 'take home' Beat Baby too, who has a little pocket (like a kangaroo), so he can take home the words of a rhyme and the children can share this with parents. Gruffalo2
HappyMaz Posted March 15, 2010 Posted March 15, 2010 We have a 'take home' Beat Baby too, who has a little pocket (like a kangaroo), so he can take home the words of a rhyme and the children can share this with parents. Ooh! Want one, want one, want one! Where can I get it from? I have visions of the children sitting their family down in a circle and doing the Simon Says routine... Maz
Guest Posted March 15, 2010 Posted March 15, 2010 They are all available from Ros Bayley's company (Lawrence Educational) I don't know how to do links but the website address is: www.educationalpublications.com Gruffalo2
Guest Posted March 16, 2010 Posted March 16, 2010 Some people just have no soul. Inge is quite right though, as usual! We do indeed have several: red, blue, yellow, purple and a lovely orang-utan too! Maz Oh dear...I am so gullible!! Or is it that I am just too childlike and wanted to believe!!
Inge Posted March 16, 2010 Posted March 16, 2010 So sorry to spoil the illusion ... and link for the site is in an earlier post... I put it in! Inge
Guest Posted March 18, 2010 Posted March 18, 2010 Sorry Inge, I missed your link. Clever you to know how to do one! Gruffalo2
Guest Posted January 7, 2011 Posted January 7, 2011 Beat Baby fans may be interested to know about a course for Early Years Practitioners to be held in Birmingham on 1st February 2011. The course is to be tutored by Ros Bayley and titled: "Making the most of your Beat Baby". The reviews from the previous course are brilliant. Places are currently still available. You can book through Lawrence Educational and obtain more details either by using the following link to their website: http://www.educationalpublications.com/Tra...eat%20Baby.html or by telephoning 0121 344 3004. Hope this is helpful.
HappyMaz Posted January 7, 2011 Posted January 7, 2011 Ooh! £100 well spent I'd say. Our children love Beat Baby. Wonder whether I can face central Birmingham though?
Rea Posted January 7, 2011 Posted January 7, 2011 We are so strapped for cash right now. It would be great to go too. Bother and fiddlesticks. If you decide to go and need to park I'll pm you a great little place we use that doesnt charge the exhorborant fee's of some other car parks.
HappyMaz Posted January 7, 2011 Posted January 7, 2011 Just looking at their website. Why does it need to know my gender before it will let me make an account? Grrr! Might take you up on your offer Rea - will let you know!
Rea Posted January 7, 2011 Posted January 7, 2011 Just looking at their website. Why does it need to know my gender before it will let me make an account? Grrr! I hate being asked for irrelevent information too. I dont see why I should give my age, we dont own a landline so I have to give th enumber we used to have and I especially hate being asked my nationality.
Guest Posted January 7, 2011 Posted January 7, 2011 I know how you feel but don't we ask for this type of information on preschool registration forms for the purpose of monitoring equality policies etc. Peggy
HappyMaz Posted January 7, 2011 Posted January 7, 2011 I know how you feel but don't we ask for this type of information on preschool registration forms for the purpose of monitoring equality policies etc. No. I only ask for children's gender so I know whether they're a boy or a girl. I don't ask for parents' gender because it isn't relevant.
Rea Posted January 7, 2011 Posted January 7, 2011 And if they havent got a landline I dont keep repeating that they have missed some information. On a completley different note, I've been trying to find really cheap car insurance for father-in-laws car. He most likely wont drive ever again so it needs to be really, really cheap. Tesco site said his car doesnt exsist (its 16 years old) Direct line said I had to put in a valid value (its worth about £500.00) and others said I must put how many miles he'd be travelling a year when in actual fact he wont be driving any miles. There's no way of skipping a question either so, so far, no insurance found.
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