Learning made fun

An Introduction To A Musical Minis Class In Oxford - Video

An introduction to a Musical Minis class in Oxford showing child development through music.The video shows Hayley Clements, the Musical Minis Oxford franchisee, along with children and their carers. Hayley runs classes in Aynho, Bicester and Woodstock.

Where do nursery rhymes come from? Jack and Jill

 

 OH no...this is another one with a reportedly grisly history.

According to the Rhymes website:  

Jack and Jill referred to are said to be King Louis XVI - Jack -who was beheaded (lost his crown) followed by his Queen Marie Antoinette - Jill - (who came tumbling after.)

The words and lyrics to the Jack and Jill poem were made more acceptable as a story for children by providing a happy ending! The actual beheadings occurred in during the Reign of Terror in 1793.

But says, Wikipedia, there are several other possible explanations. These include:

• In Norse mythology, Hjúki and Bil, a brother and sister (respectively) who, according to the 13th-century Prose Edda book Gylfaginning written by Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson, were taken up from the earth by the moon (personified as the god Máni) as they were fetching water from the well called Byrgir.
• Jack is Cardinal Wolsey and Gill is Bishop Tarbes who attempted to arrange the marriage of Mary Tudor to the French king. Their failure to negotiate this peace with France led to tax raises and thus a Jack and Jill protest song.
• In the 17th century, King Charles I tried to reform the taxes on liquid measures. He was blocked by Parliament, so subsequently ordered that the volume of a Jack (1/2 pint) be reduced, but the tax remained the same. This meant that he still received more tax, despite Parliament's veto. Hence "Jack fell down and broke his crown" (many pint glasses in the UK still have a line marking the 1/2 pint level with a crown above it) "and Jill came tumbling after". The reference to "Jill", (actually a "gill", or 1/4 pint) is an indication that the gill dropped in volume. 
• Jack and Jill were forms of currency referring to dollars and cents, respectively. The rising value of Jacks and Jill caused them to "go up a hill" until a plague caused a lack of water, causing a drop in the values of this currency (falling down and breaking his crown).

Phew - those are some very complicated stories for such a simple ditty. I wonder which one's true.

Previous posts: Where do nursery rhymes come from?

Five little monekys jumping on the bed - it's a mystery

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Humpty Dumpty

Ring O' Roses

London's Burning

 

 

Where do nursery rhymes come from? Five little monkeys jumping on the bed

By Linda Jones

THIS has to be my favourite nursery rhyme and I have happy memories of singing along with my daughters when they were much younger.

Author of a book of the same name, Eileen Christelow, says she didn't invent the ditty and that it's a well-known chanting rhyme loved by generations of children. You can see her website here:

Picture books by Eileen Christelow.

So for the first time since I've been finding out about the origins of nursery rhymes, they remain a mystery!

Unless anyone knows different of course. 

Previous posts: Where do nursery rhymes come from?

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Humpty Dumpty

Ring O' Roses

London's Burning

 

 

 

Where do nursery rhymes come from? Baa Baa Black Sheep

By Linda Jones

WHEN Karen wrote about 'politically correct' nursery rhymes, she was thinking about how much she preferred a black sheep to a rainbow sheep after reports have told how Baa Baa Black Sheep has been banned in some settings.

What happens during a Musical Minis class?

MUSICAL Minis isn't aiming to teach children to be young musicians, but aims to help children’s development and social skills through music, music being something that most children will respond to.

Our programme has been designed to help parents and carers to join in activities with their children, to encourage the child’s natural attraction to music and to learn good speech with the repetition of nursery rhymes and stories.

Each section is structured to include:

• Action songs – for co-ordination
• Musical stops – to develop listening skills
• Musical instruments – to explore sounds and effects
• Stories – to teach rhythm and introduce early teamwork
• Nursery rhymes and songs – to encourage speech

The music has been especially recorded so it may be followed at a pace suitable for the very young.

Sometimes people get the impression we are all about teaching young children to learn instruments. But we are most certainly not as you can see from the video above.

But what this fun can help a child do, includes:

• Develop language and co-ordination to communicate well 
• Share stories and songs
• Meet new friends
• Grow in confidence by joining in activities in a relaxed group atmosphere
• Get creative exploring instruments, sounds, rhythm and movement

Musical Minis in video - it's all about fun

There's a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes to make sure that the children who come along to Musical Minis have an awful lot of fun.

Sometimes people get the impression we are all about teaching young children to learn instruments. But we are most certainly not as you can see from the video above.

But what this fun can help a child do, includes:

• Develop language and co-ordination to communicate well 
• Share stories and songs
• Meet new friends
• Grow in confidence by joining in activities in a relaxed group atmosphere
• Get creative exploring instruments, sounds, rhythm and movement