Compiled by Owen Duggan, elementary-school music teacher and children's singer-songwriter.

Old-fashioned children's songs, such as folk songs and popular songs that have withstood the test of time, often consist of authentic expressions of a broad range of cultures. In turn these songs are a significant resource for teaching music and using music to aid in teaching other subjects. For example what better song than "The Erie Canal" to help teach about the famous canal that links the waters of Lake Erie to the Hudson River. Did you know that the canal upon completion in 1825 was known as "The Eighth Wonder of the World?" Many of these songs both delight and enlighten, while inviting children to sing and use their bodies in movement.

SongsForTeaching.com is a wonderful site that groups teaching songs into subjects, such as "Mathematics Songs" and "Social Studies Songs." This free site provides song lyrics as well as a listing of appropriate books and CDs.

The following additional sources are my personal picks to assist teachers and parents in finding printed music, lyrics and recordings of old-fashioned songs especially for children.

AMERICAN FOLKSONGS FOR CHILDREN (Oak Publications) by Ruth Seeger

GIANT BOOK OF CHILDREN'S SONGS (Cherry Lane)

GREAT BIG BOOK OF CHILDREN'S SONGS (Hal Leonard)

GROWING UP WITH MUSIC: A GUIDE TO THE BEST RECORDED MUSIC FOR CHILDREN (Avon Books) by Laurie Sale

LIBRARY OF CHILDREN'S SONG CLASSICS (Amsco)

150 AMERICAN FOLK SONGS: TO SING, READ AND PLAY (Boosey & Hawkes) by Peter Erdei

120 SINGING GAMES AND DANCES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS (Prentice-Hall) by Lois Choksy

STEP IT DOWN: GAMES, PLAYS, SONGS AND STORIES FROM THE AFRO-AMERICAN HERITAGE (University of Georgia Press) by Bessie Jones