Do you like to incorporate songs into your teaching? Do your kiddos need alphabet recognition practice? Do You Know the School Bus Driver is a great song to include in your circle time each day. ABC learning songs are great to use during circle time to build community and literacy skills at the same time.
The neat thing about this song is that you can differentiate it based on student needs and ages. I’ll show you a few different ways to differentiate below.
First, let’s learn the basic song. Then, I’ll show you the literacy skills you can teach with the song.
ABC Learning Song
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The Song
Here are the words to the song. I also have a FREE printable for email subscribers that you can keep a copy with you while you learn it. Download it below.
Do You Know the School Bus Driver?
to the tune “Do You Know the Muffin Man?”
Do you know the school bus driver?
The school bus driver
The school bus driver
Do you know the school bus driver
Who drives the letters to school?
Yes, I know the school bus driver.
The school bus driver
The school bus driver
Yes, I know the school bus driver
She’s/he’s driving the letter ___ to school.
Continue to repeat the song until all of the students have had a chance to “drive” a letter to school.
Listen to the song below in the video I made for you.
How to Use the Song
This song works great with a large group of students during circle time. It could also be done with a small group or individual students.
- Practice the song so you are ready to sing it with the kids. I’ve included the lyrics for you in the download below.
- Print and hang the picture of the school preferably on a magnetic board.
- Collect magnetic letters ([easyazon_link identifier=”B0002VJYR2″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]these are our favorites[/easyazon_link]), letter cards, or some other type of alphabet manipulative to use.
- As you sing the song, let the students take turns being the driver. On the last line, the driver selects a letter, identifies it, and places it on the school.
- Repeat until all students have had a chance to the be the school bus driver.
More Literacy Skills to Teach with the Song
This song can be differentiated to the meet student needs.
- With very young children I would let them select a letter and name it together.
- Vary the activity by using just lowercase letters, uppercase letters, or a mix of both.
- Add saying the letter sound along with the letter name.
- Students who are becoming more comfortable with letter identification and letter sounds can name a word that begins with the letter that they choose.
- To build vocabulary, you could substitute letters for picture cards and have the kids identify the pictures.
Ok, need to see this all in action? Watch the video below.
If you would like to become an email subscriber and get loads of literacy resources to help you meet the needs of all your growing readers, you can get the printable as a thank you.
Would you like some more circle time songs to sing with the kids that build literacy skills? I have 35 more for you that cover alphabet recognition, beginning sounds, rhyming, and more.
Check out 35 Circle Time Songs That Build Literacy Skills.
Happy Singing!
Would you like some more circle time songs to sing with the kids that build literacy skills? I have 35 more for you that cover alphabet recognition, beginning sounds, rhyming, and more.
Check out 35 Circle Time Songs That Build Literacy Skills.
