Onomatopoeia

Say what???  I think of myself as an English nerd (but hardly anything to cause embarrassment!).  In high school, I was on the English team of our academic team.  If I hadn't already learned it in class, you can bet that I soaked up the new words and terms that were thrown at me while studying for meets.

Are you familiar with the term or meaning of the post's title? Onomatopoeia (on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh) is a term for a word that's associated with or used to describe the sound something makes (ie: "moo", "pop", or "splash")-  it's a 'sound word.'



clatterpillar



Such are the sounds that I've always associated with the pictured instrument  (the clatterpillar- a term Microsoft Word ceases to believe exists : )- "click" and "clack".  This little song came to be very organically during a music therapy session with a little guy who quickly became enamored with the clatterpillar.  I needed a quick tune for a short length of turn-taking, as well as to describe the instrument itself.  I also knew he loved trains and loved the connection between the click-clack sound of the instrument compared to a train chugging on its tracks.  He enjoyed the song from the start, and now adds the "click clack" + "up and down" lyrics on his own...with smiles, giggles, and eye contact!

With my young kiddos, I use a plastic constructed clatterpillar as shown above (vs. wood), as I can sanitize the heck out of it : )

Hope you enjoy!





CLICK CLACK CLATTERPILLAR

Click clack,
Click clack,
The clatterpillar goes “click clack.”
Like a train running on its track
It goes up and down,
Down and back.
Like a train running on its track,
The clatterpillar goes “click, click, clack.”