Introduction
Without a doubt, the school bus is one of the most recognizable parts of the everyday lives of school children. From the color yellow being associated with the vehicle to the stop sign that hinges to face the front and seeing them pick students up by going to their houses makes the vehicle almost a part of everyday lives. If there are any catchy tunes that go perfectly with the school bus for any kid’s ideas, then the Wheels on the Bus song has to be it. Not only is it known for summarizing what the school bus does, but it also works as a way to teach kids how to sing and know what the bus does in terms of functionality.
History of the Bus song:
Made in the year 1939, this folk song was created by an individual named Verna Hills. The song was very popular among kids back then, and it’s still popular to many in this day and age. The repetitive rhythm not only made it easy for kids to sing along with, but it was also catchy with everyone that was on the bus while going to school. Said rhythm was also similar to a song from British tradition named “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”. The standard lyrics of the folk song usually go like “the x on the bus go x”. Each set of lyrics are followed by an action that relates to a specific part of the bus, such as the wheels rolling, the horn honking, and the bus driver telling the passengers to “move on back”.
How the Song Helps Children Learn:
The Wheels on the Bus song is very useful for children to learn in many different parts of their early years with phonics and basic fundamentals. First of all, the basic rhythm of the song makes it easier for kids to understand easily while they listen to a very catchy tune. Secondly, the functions of the bus and what the driver and passengers do inside the bus teaches kids how buses would work, with the mentions of the wheels rolling making a connection to the way shapes work; of course, the shape of the wheels are circles, so kids can both learn geometry before delving deeper into that form of education! What the song also teaches children is the way they use their hands to make gestures based on what the bus and anything inside it does; by mimicking the rolling wheels or the honking horn, they can better understand how the components of the vehicle that are listed in the lyrics work without diving deeper into more complex mechanical knowledge too soon.
Conclusion
Overall, the Bus song is a great folk song for kids to listen to when parents and teachers have children play along with the catchy tunes while understanding hand gestures that are made in the song. It is still sung by many kids and teachers to this day, proving it’s huge popularity overall.