There are some songs that children seem to know before they ever walk through our classroom doors.
And The Wheels on the Bus is definitely one of them!
The minute those familiar words begin playing, little hands start making circles, pretend wipers start swishing, and everyone is ready to join in.
So why not take all that excitement and turn it into meaningful learning?
That is exactly what I wanted to do with my newly updated The Wheels on the Bus Literacy, Bus Safety & Transportation Resource for K–2.
Instead of simply singing the song and completing a worksheet, this resource uses a familiar favorite as the starting point for a full day of literacy, comprehension, vocabulary, writing, bus safety, math, data collection, movement, and hands-on learning.
And it all starts before students even sit down!
Start the Day with the Song!
Before students arrive, have The Wheels on the Bus playing in the classroom.
Imagine students walking through the door and immediately hearing a song they know!
While the music plays quietly, students begin their Morning Opener.
They circle, color, write, and draw as they think about:
- how they get to school;
- how they’re feeling;
- bus safety;
- what belongs on a school bus;
- their own trip to school.
You’ve welcomed students, activated prior knowledge, encouraged conversation, and introduced the theme for the day—all before your morning meeting begins!
Now Let’s Sing and MOVE!
Once everyone is settled, bring students together and play the song again.
But this time…
SING!
MOVE!
HAVE FUN!
Encourage students to join in with the familiar words and motions.
Then ask a simple question:
What did you hear happening on the bus?
Students can recall the people, sounds, movements, and different parts of the bus.
And just like that, you’re moving from singing into listening and comprehension.
Take the Song Into Your Literacy Block
Next, use a The Wheels on the Bus book for your read aloud or shared reading.
Before reading, take a look at the cover and get students thinking.
What do they notice?
Who might be riding the bus?
What parts of a bus do they already know?
What sounds might they hear?
What do they predict will happen?
During the reading, students can listen for repeated words and phrases, identify important details, notice the different people and bus parts, and make connections between the song and the text.
After reading, continue the conversation with comprehension questions.
Who was on the bus?
What did the wheels do?
What did the horn do?
What happened again and again?
How is this bus like a school bus?
How is it different?
Now that familiar little song is doing some pretty important literacy work!
Build Vocabulary and Word-Work Skills
There are SO many great words to explore with a transportation theme.
Students can work with vocabulary such as bus, driver, wheels, door, horn, lights, seat, and transportation.
Then choose the word-work activity that best fits your students.
Students can practice:
ABC order • syllables • vocabulary • word recognition • word searches
And here’s something important:
You don’t have to use them all!
Choose one for your literacy lesson and save the others for centers, small groups, morning work, early finishers, or another day.
From a Fun Song to an IMPORTANT Real-Life Lesson
This might be my favorite connection in the entire resource.
After enjoying all the silly sounds and movements in the song, ask:
“The bus in our story is fun to sing about, but what do we need to do to stay safe on a REAL school bus?”
Now you’ve opened the door to a meaningful conversation about bus safety.
Students can brainstorm important rules such as staying seated, listening to the driver, keeping the aisle clear, using quiet voices, and following directions.
But don’t stop at WHAT the rules are.
Ask:
Why are these rules important?
That’s where the real thinking happens!
Students begin to understand that rules aren’t simply things adults tell children to do.
Bus rules help keep everyone safe.
Read About Bus Safety
Once students have shared what they already know, use the included Bus Safety Reader to build on their ideas.
As students read, they can underline important words, draw pictures, and make connections to their own experiences.
Then ask:
What is one bus safety rule you think is especially important? Why?
Now students are ready to take what they’ve discussed and read about and turn it into writing.
Differentiate the Writing
One writing activity doesn’t work for every K–2 learner, especially at the beginning of the school year.
That’s why there are different ways students can show what they know.
Beginning writers can draw and label a bus safety rule.
Developing writers can complete a sentence such as:
On the bus, we should __________ because __________.
More independent writers can explain:
How can you be a safe and responsible bus rider?
Everyone is working with the same big idea, but students can respond at a level that works for them.
Bus, Car, Bike or FEET… How Did You Get to Your Seat?
Of course, not every child rides a bus to school!
And that led to one of my favorite additions to this resource:
HOW WE GO!
Ask students how they got to school that morning.
Bus?
Car?
Bike?
Walking?
Then turn their answers into real classroom data!
Students can sort themselves into groups, tally responses, create graphs, count totals, and compare results.
Which way did most students come to school?
Which had the fewest?
Are any groups equal?
How many more came one way than another?
You can even add some movement!
Bus — Pretend to turn a big steering wheel.
Car — Pretend to drive.
Bike — Pretend to pedal.
Walk — Walk in place.
Then finish with:
“No matter HOW we got here, we all made it to school!”
I love activities like this because the math isn’t random.
It’s about THEM!
Sneak in Even More Math with a Class Poll
Students can also vote for their favorite part of The Wheels on the Bus.
Was it the wheels going round and round?
The horn going beep, beep, beep?
The driver?
The children?
Collect the votes and you’ve created another opportunity to practice counting, comparing, graphing, most, least, and interpreting data.
For younger students, collect the information as a class.
Older students can survey 5 or 10 friends and record their own data.
One song—two opportunities for meaningful math!
Finish with a Bus Craft
After all that reading, talking, writing, moving, and math, it’s time for some hands-on fun!
Students can cut, assemble, and glue their own school bus craft.
And yes, it’s cute—but it’s doing more than decorating your bulletin board.
Cutting, positioning, and gluing give students valuable fine-motor practice, especially at the beginning of the year.
Pair the finished buses with student safety writing for an adorable display:
Wheely Safe Bus Riders!
or
Rolling Into a Safe School Year!
End Where You Started
At the end of the day, gather everyone together.
Ask students to finish one sentence:
Today I learned…
One thing I know about buses is…
One way I can stay safe on a bus is…
My favorite part of today was…
And then?
Play The Wheels on the Bus one more time!
Sing.
Move.
Celebrate.
Students may feel like they’ve spent the day having fun with a favorite song.
But YOU know how much learning happened along the way!
One Song. So Much Learning!
One of the things I love most about teaching through literature and familiar songs is that we don’t have to squeeze every subject into its own little box.
A simple song can lead naturally into:
Reading.
Comprehension.
Vocabulary.
Word Work.
Writing.
Bus Safety.
Transportation.
Math.
Data Collection.
Movement.
Fine-Motor Skills.
And that’s exactly what this resource is designed to do.
The included one-day lesson plan helps you put the pieces together, but you certainly don’t have to use everything.
Choose the core activities that work for your students and save the extras for literacy centers, math centers, small groups, morning work, early finishers, homework, or another day.
Because teachers don’t need more pages just for the sake of having more pages.
We need activities that work together and make the learning meaningful.
So turn on the music, gather your little learners, and get ready to…
Sing • Move • Read • Learn!
No Comments