Rhythm and Pulse Year 3 Notations - Come butter come

In a Year 3 music lesson focusing on rhythm and pulse, students engage with the notation and lyrics of the chant "Come butter come". The notation is presented in 4/4 time, with a series of eighth notes (quavers) and quarter note (crotchet) rests, providing a simple and repetitive rhythm that is ideal for young learners. The chant consists of short phrases such as "Come, butter come" and "Peter stands at the gate, waiting for a butter cake", which are easy to memorize and recite. The structure of the chant, with its consistent rhythmic pattern, helps students to understand and feel the steady pulse of the music.

The lesson is interactive and includes a game that encourages creativity and physical movement. Children form a circle and take turns to invent different actions during the chant. As they all recite "Come butter come", the child whose turn it is performs an action on the first 'come butter come'. The rest of the group observes and then mimics the action on the subsequent repetitions of the phrase. This activity not only reinforces the rhythm and words of the chant but also allows each child to contribute their own unique movements, making the learning experience both personal and collaborative. To further personalise the activity, the name 'Peter' in the chant can be replaced with the names of the children participating in the game.