Email: talktous@podar.org

This book is dedicated to the innocence in little children. This book

is dedicated to all parents and teachers to understand that every

song, every story, every interaction with children can have a

lasting effect on their life values, so we need to be careful and

rework certain traditional forms that we are using in our

kindergartens, afterall it takes a village to raise a child.

Vision by - Dr. Pavan Podar

"Songs and rhymes" are an essential part of early language experiences for infants and

toddlers, and include making, listening to, and reacting to sounds and also engaging in

spoken language experiences such as 'made up songs', or listening to songs and rhymes. Problematic language in nursery rhymes.By today's standards, many traditional Mother Goose-type nursery rhymes can seem

violent, racist, sexist, or ageist. The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe is far from a loving

mother, and Old Mother Hubbard has only a bone for her starving dog. In fact, traditional

poems and songs in many cultures have elements that are of questionable appropriateness

for young children.

Even though infants and toddlers will not understand many of the words or fully

comprehend the messages, teachers and parents should be selective in their choice of

rhymes to share or use with children.

It seems unnecessary and unwise to reject all nursery rhymes on

the basis of a few, especially if verses can be altered slightly to

make the words, theme, or message more acceptable. Piggy on

the Railway for example - the engine driver in piggy on the railway

can say, “I will take more care”, instead of saying, “I don't care” and

instead of, ‘The cat fell into the well’, we can say ‘The cat has

something to tell’.

As part of their project- 'AVISHKAR- Change and Creativity in Childhood', the level 3

children (age 5) of Podar Jumbo Kids Plus, along with their teachers worked on changing

some common songs and rhymes and make them more healthy for childhood.

Enjoy this booklet that has -Piggy On The Railway... Revisited and The New Ding Dong

Bell did not fall, written by the kids, illustrated by the kids to make this world a better place

for you, me and the entire human race…………. Swati Popat Vats-Director.

Piggy On The Railway...Revisited

The New Ding Dong Bell

The New Ding Dong Bell

The New Ding Dong Bell

Piggy On The Railway...Revisited

Piggy The On Railway...Revisited

Gopika KhandwalaAss Teacher

Shreya Prasad Sana Magan

Pehel Kenia

Ishaan Chak

Kadesh Verma

Ruhaan Doshy

Viraj ParekhVivaan Sanghvi

Aryan Kadam

Diya PurohitHaaziq KhanJiya Kher

Viraj Sinha

Anjali Borda

Mehak Gala Khwaahish Shah Aarav Patel

Anand Gopalakrishnan

Sheetal Mehta Main Teacher

Yogita PatilDidi

Devangi LodayaSupervisor

Melanie MathiasPedagogist

Shift B. Level 3. Div K-DPodar Jumbo Kids Plus-I

Rehaan Ramsinghania

Mahema Singh

Kavita Ballani

Moksh Puri

Rohan ShirodkarShrey Lakhani

Deeyan ParswaniFarish PradhanKhayal Shah

Shanit Ghose

Poonam KareliaAsst Teacher

Kunj Patel Krrish Gupta

Naisha Thakkar

Vea JainAnaita Khatri Tejas Chakrabarti

Anokkhi Shah

Khwaish Chhabra

N.SunithaMain Teacher

Samidha MunjDidi

Devangi LodayaSupervisor

Melanie MathiasPedagogist

Podar Jumbo Kids Plus-IShift B. Level 3. Div K-C

Why did we want to change Piggy on the Railway?

Such an innocent rhyme but look at the mean behavior lurking in it. An

engine driver hurts a piggy and then says, “I don't care!” This song is sung at

an age when we are trying to teach kids 'manners'. So, aren't we just

confusing them with the contradictions?

At Podar Jumbo Kids Plus conflict resolution skills are given due importance

to teach kids and teachers that there is always a solution to every problem.

And ‘Discussion starters’ help in identifying the problem and then probing for

the solutions. Solutions that are acceptable to the whole group.

While discussing Piggy on the Railway, it was surprising to realize that most

of the kids blamed the piggy for being in the way. Yes, the piggy was wrong

to be picking up stones on the railway tracks; but, does that mean the engine

driver has to be mean and not say sorry?

‘Discussion starters’ help us identify the cobwebs in our value system, in our

thinking styles and then help us see more clearly what is the right way. And

that's exactly what emerged from this ‘Discussion starter’; an engine driver

who was sensitive and said, “sorry” and yes the piggy too should not cross

on the railway track!

Enjoy these little new rhymes.

Old version

Piggy OnThe Railway

Piggy OnThe Railway

You will notice that all the children’s drawings have comments written by the Teacher. This is called Documentation-a Practice adopted by us from Reggio schools where a teacher ask the child about the drawings and then writes down all points that were mentioned by the child.

Notice the Documentation in the Drawings

Piggy on the Railway Picking up stones;

Down came an engine,

And broke Piggy's bones.

‘Ah!' said Piggy,

“That's not fair”

“Oh!” said the engine driver,

“I don't care!”

Why did we want to change Piggy on the Railway?

Such an innocent rhyme but look at the mean behavior lurking in it. An

engine driver hurts a piggy and then says, “I don't care!” This song is sung at

an age when we are trying to teach kids 'manners'. So, aren't we just

confusing them with the contradictions?

At Podar Jumbo Kids Plus conflict resolution skills are given due importance

to teach kids and teachers that there is always a solution to every problem.

And ‘Discussion starters’ help in identifying the problem and then probing for

the solutions. Solutions that are acceptable to the whole group.

While discussing Piggy on the Railway, it was surprising to realize that most

of the kids blamed the piggy for being in the way. Yes, the piggy was wrong

to be picking up stones on the railway tracks; but, does that mean the engine

driver has to be mean and not say sorry?

‘Discussion starters’ help us identify the cobwebs in our value system, in our

thinking styles and then help us see more clearly what is the right way. And

that's exactly what emerged from this ‘Discussion starter’; an engine driver

who was sensitive and said, “sorry” and yes the piggy too should not cross

on the railway track!

Enjoy these little new rhymes.

Rework Level 3

‘Change and Creativity’

to Create

Piggy On The Railway

Piggy On The Railway

You will notice that all the children’s drawings have comments written by the Teacher. This is called Documentation-a Practice adopted by us from Reggio schools where a teacher ask the child about the drawings and then writes down all points that were mentioned by the child.

Notice the Documentation in the Drawings

Piggy on the Railway, Picking up stones;

Down came an engine, And broke Piggy's bones.

'Ah!' said Piggy,

“That's not fair”“Sorry!” said the engine driver,

“I will take more care.”

Old version

Ding Dong BellDing Dong Bell

You will notice that all the children’s drawings have comments written by the Teacher. This is called Documentation-a Practice adopted by us from Reggio schools where a teacher ask the child about the drawings and then writes down all points that were mentioned by the child.

Notice the Documentation in the Drawings

Why did we want to change Ding Dong Bell?

A nursery rhyme, that talks about a cat being pushed into a well;

and who was to be blamed for it? A fat little boy! The rhyme not

only teaches kids to be cruel to animals but also somewhere

plants the seeds of fat and thin in the minds of children and thus,

starting kids off on a foundation of bias where looks are

concerned.

Values and morals cannot be taught to young children, they need

to imitate them from others. Unknowingly we are teaching them

about and exposing them to many unwanted acts of violence, and

social bias, through the stories and songs that we sing to them in

schools or as bed time stories.

‘Discussion starters’ help kids understand and question the wrong

and replace with the right. And that's exactly what the kids of

Level 3 did with these two rhymes, we discussed its relevance to

good and bad and then identified what needed to be changed

and had fun playing with words to find the replacements.

So, it was a value education session and a language session all

rolled into one. Come enjoy the new versions of both these

preschool favourites and help kids grow up with healthy values

and language skills.

Ding dong bell,The cat is in the well.

Who put her in? Little Johnny Green.

Who pulled her out?

Little Tommy Stout.

What a naughty boy was that,

To try to drown the poor cat.

Rework Level 3

‘Change and Creativity’

to Create

The NewDing Dong Bell

The NewDing Dong Bell

You will notice that all the children’s drawings have comments written by the Teacher. This is called Documentation-a Practice adopted by us from Reggio schools where a teacher ask the child about the drawings and then writes down all points that were mentioned by the child.

Notice the Documentation in the Drawings

Why did we want to change Ding Dong Bell?

A nursery rhyme, that talks about a cat being pushed into a well;

and who was to be blamed for it? A fat little boy! The rhyme not

only teaches kids to be cruel to animals but also somewhere

plants the seeds of fat and thin in the minds of children and thus,

starting kids off on a foundation of bias where looks are

concerned.

Values and morals cannot be taught to young children, they need

to imitate them from others. Unknowingly we are teaching them

about and exposing them to many unwanted acts of violence, and

social bias, through the stories and songs that we sing to them in

schools or as bed time stories.

‘Discussion starters’ help kids understand and question the wrong

and replace with the right. And that's exactly what the kids of

Level 3 did with these two rhymes, we discussed its relevance to

good and bad and then identified what needed to be changed

and had fun playing with words to find the replacements.

So, it was a value education session and a language session all

rolled into one. Come enjoy the new versions of both these

preschool favourites and help kids grow up with healthy values

and language skills.

Ding dong bell,The cat has something to tell.

Never pull my tail,

And throw no stones at me.Treat me with love and,

I will help you keep the mice away.