- The Little Engine That Could (book)
MA Standards:
English Language Arts/Speaking and Listening/SL.PK.MA.1a: Observe and use appropriate ways of interacting in a group (e.g., taking turns in talking, listening to peers, waiting to speak until another person is finished talking, asking questions and waiting for an answer, gaining the floor in appropriate ways).
Head Start Outcomes:
Social Emotional Development/Self-Regulation: Follows simple rules, routines, and directions.
Language Development/Receptive Language: Attends to language during conversations, songs, stories, or other learning experiences.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Language 1: Observe and use appropriate ways of interacting in a group (taking turns in talking; listening to peers; waiting until someone is finished; asking questions and waiting for an answer; gaining the floor in appropriate ways).
English Language Arts/Reading and Literature 12: Listen to, recite, sing, and dramatize a variety of age-appropriate literature.
Sing Together: “Keep on Trying”
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
ELA Focus Skills: Make Comparisons, Speaking and Listening, Vocabulary
Display the illustration of the Rusty Old Engine in The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper.
Discuss why the Rusty Old Engine gave up trying and ask children to repeat what he said as he rumbled off to the roadhouse. “I can not! I can not!”
Ask children to compare Rusty's response to Little Blue Engine's response. Ask children to compare and discuss how the Little Blue Engine responded to how the Rusty Old Engine responded. (She kept trying and did not give up as she said, “I think I can. I think I can.”)
Sing the song, “Keep on Trying” for children.
Sing it a second time and invite them to sing and clap along.
Keep on Trying
(sung to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”)
Try, try, try your best,
Try and try again.
If at first you don’t succeed,
Smile and try again.
Try, try, try your best,
Practice every day.
If at first you don’t succeed,
Keep trying and soon you’ll say . . . (shout) I thought I could!
Adaptation: With very young children, sing the song to one child at a time.
English Language Learners: Point out the pronunciation similarities between the English and Spanish words practice/practicar to help bridge understanding of new words.