Rockin' to the Beat with Pete!

I've heard that my friend Pete the Cat has become very popular with the PreK-1st grade crowd! 
In case you have not met Pete, he is the star of three books by Eric Litwin.  We follow Pete on some wonderful adventures, but my favorite aspect of this series is that Eric has recorded himself reading the story and singing Pete's song.  And, the audio track is free at the publisher's website!  http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/petethecat/

Last week, we read the book in class and then moved our bodies to the music that Pete sang.  This week, Pete the Cat gave me the idea to add instruments to our singing. We used rhythm sticks to tap the steady beat of the music while we sang along with Pete.  Click the video below to see 1st graders in action, singing and playing with Pete!

Since Pete has proven so popular with the students, I'm planning on some more musical activities with him and his books.  There is a new one due out right before Christmas, as well!  And, I had one student tell me excitedly, "I'm going to ask for all the Pete the Cat books for Christmas!"  What a great idea!!

Mrs. Krejci