Counting Joy: Teaching ’10 Rules’ to Young Children for a Spirited Shavuot Celebration

Pique Their Curiosity

Get ready to infuse excitement and learning into Shavuot with “10 Rules,” a captivating counting song inspired by the Torah. Entice their curiosity by encouraging them to share what they already know about Moses, activating valuable context knowledge that enriches their understanding and enhances retention. If you’ve recently shared Passover songs with your learners, use what they know about Moses to introduce the song. Activating context knowledge works wonders for memory recall and promotes a deeper understanding between content and learners’ prior experiences. As children share their knowledge about Moses, they form a connection with the song on a personal level, making the experience more memorable and meaningful.

Our brains respond enthusiastically to input that is both novel and familiar

Engage children in learning about The 10 Commandments and Moses (novel) while demonstrating their competency and confidence as they display their ability to count from 1-10 (familiar). 

Counting songs are typically a very popular choice in early learning environments

They invite children to show off their developing numeracy skills. Most young children delight in the confidence-boosting practice of repeating tasks in which they are already competent.

Shavuot Fingerplay

The accompanying fingerplay further encourages engagement by inviting non-verbal participation and expression. 

Movement: 
Spread and stretch your fingers to ‘warm up’ the digits before singing. 
Model and practice counting and singing with the children. Consider holding out your fingers for a child to touch and count (the spatial perception in touching their fingertip to one fingertip at a time 10 times in a row on a moving target- offering your hand is a great opportunity to practice fine motor control and depth perception!)

Chorus:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
Rules from way up high
Moses climbed the mountain,
Got the Torah on Mt. Sinai!
REPEAT

Verse 1:
God gave the rules to Moses,
Moses gave the rules to the Jews
We are the Jewish people
Cuz’ we are the people who choose (to follow..)

Chorus

Verse 2:
I love learning Torah
Learning Torah is sweet
It helps me make wise choices
And be kind to the people I meet (I follow…)

Chorus

Verse 3 :
The rules are called commandments,
There’s more to learn as we grow
We’ll keep learning Torah
Because there is so much more to know (to follow…)

Chorus

Rock on!

As you teach the “10 Rules” counting song to young children, remember the significance of engaging their curiosity by activating context knowledge. This invaluable strategy enhances memory recall and promotes a deeper understanding between content and learners’ prior experiences. By blending captivating lyrics, music, and exaggerated movements, children become absorbed in the learning experience in a fun, memorable way. Embrace this unique opportunity to strengthen children’s connection to Torah while celebrating the joyous festival of Shavuot.