Teachers have noticed it’s harder to get /
hold younger children's attention. "What do you do to hold their
attention?" they ask. The main
point is the children being inquired about are much younger than the age teachers
used to work with. Parents put children (who haven’t learned how to sit
still yet – and shouldn’t be expected to) into programs. Often there are situations they aren’t ready
for. Teaching to this group is different than teaching to children who
are 4. And, teaching to a 5 yr old is different than teaching to a 4 yr
old. Each group has a different attention span and needs a
different plan.
A toddler
has just learned to move and likes it. Then, he’s in a situation where
he’s expected to sit still. How is that supposed to happen? Use
songs that help teach how to sit still and pay attention. Some won’t be doing exactly
what you ask, but they’re listening. Toddlers love fingerplays and songs where they move their fingers. “My Fingers Are Startingto Wiggle” is a song by Carole Stephens - Macaroni Soup. (She's fun!) My song, “"Shake it! Shake it!", is a song that teaches focus on body
parts and control. This age group also loves any kind of freeze
dance because they get to work on that moving and stopping they love so much! Here is a link to infant/toddler CDs.
When
I teach the Music with Mar. program in preschools, I only go to their
classrooms for 15 minutes. The ability of a 1, 2 or 3 year old to sit in
circle time is minimal. One or two songs is what they can be expected to
sit for. Some will argue they work with 2-year-olds and it’s possible.
Yes. It is, but it's a lot of work and not necessarily age appropriate. Rather than a special person
appearing to teach 'music', the classroom teacher / caregiver should integrate
music into what they are already doing. My philosophy is “You aren't teaching music; you are
using music to teach.”
When you work with this
age, be sure to mix up. Use a lot of props (books, puppets, instruments
and their own bodies). Move first, then sit. Get them back
up. Sit them back down for a quiet song. I love Miss Jackie’s “The
Touch Game”. It's great for focusing them and settling them. Click on her link for volumes of information about working with Infant/Toddlers.
Those little sponges hear everything you say. They’re just moving and
processing. Some leave the circle and walk off. Yet, still sing
what you are singing. What’s important than them 'listening' to you is
that you’re there, exposing them to activities that help them learn. Let
go of the music teacher you are with older children. What you
do here is just as meaningful, just on another level. They probably aren't
going to do it the way you planned it anyway. (That's why they’re called 'lesson
plans'.) What they know is, you’re there, paying attention. That's what’s
important. Remember, children spell love T I M E Keep it simple. Watch their faces and sing, sing, sing!
Sometimes music is the only thing that brings a smile to a child’s lips.
Julie Pollman
Please visit this page for daily brain facts about music.
Ms. Brigid here, from Merit School of Music in Chicago, IL sharing summer
songs and a great resource for quintessential camp songs – Green Ghoulie. I
stumbled upon this site several years ago, and was instantly charmed with both the
collection and the endearingly goofy presentation by the two main perpetrators,
Pete Vingeant and Bryan (with no last name). Check out Baby Sharkto see a hilarious progression of song styling and and
hairdos! I've included one of the two videos below. On the site, all videos appear above song lyrics.
Summer is a time for reflection, renewal and
collaboration. Which songs were sure fire hits and worthy of
carrying forward? How can connections to
classroom themes or curriucula be deepened?What extensions can be put in place, e.g., movement, instruments,
dramatizations, partnering with a story?, etc. I’m grateful that several times a year
our Merit EC and General Music teachers come together to discuss these issues.
The following are a few of the songs from our end–of–the–year sharing.
Sally Go Round the Sun
Sally go round the sun,
Sally go round the moon,
Sally go round the chimney pot
Every afternoon. Boom!
Hold hands
and walk in a circle. On “boom,” change
direction of circle. Practice the “boom”
change of direction separately before you start the dance – and walk lightly
with feet to the beat. There’s
nothing like plodding to make one feel they’re in music prison!
c.2013. Brigid Finucane
This song is
also useful to reinforce days of the week. After the “boom,” we freeze as I rhythmically chant, “Sunday and Monday.” The kiddos echo, “Sunday and Monday.” We sing the song again, moving in a circle.
After each “boom”, I pause again,
adding another day: “Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,”
until we cycle through the
days of the week. On the last repetition,
we walk four steps in and out of the circle – on the beat - and jump in place on
the “boom.” It’s fun to repeat it,
getting softer until it’s barely heard….from mp to p to pp.
After
children are confident with the succession, add two or more days at a time. Try
learning the days of the week in another language.Esperanto, anyone?
There are so
many fun ways to approach Sally Go Round
the Sun (of which there are MANY versions).
Some prefer to sing chimney top(s) rather
than chimney pot – an archaic term
that has fallen out of use. Although I prefer the archaic in all things, sing
what comes naturally to you!
This YouTube
shows dancing in concentric circles and singing the song in a round. Though three part rounds are waaaaaaayyyy
out of the realm of our K and Pre-K kiddos, two concentric circles are fun to
try. I often use a double circle for space reasons – so that we can move rather
than plod (the grownups plod a bit in this video – just sayin’).
BRIGIE TIP
for making a double circle lickity split: Make a large
circle. Drop hands. Count the children – aloud: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4, 1 – 2 – 3-
4, etc. Every fourth child goes into the center and makes a second, smaller
circle. The ratio works.
Frogs in the Meadow
Sound Touch icon
Before singing the song, introduce your kiddos
to the wonder and variety of frogs – and the sounds they make – through these two marvelous iPad apps: Sound Touch and Video Touch Animals – made by the same
developer. Frogs do not say “ribbit”!
Sound
Touch Lite (FREE). 180 sounds and images great for
auditory discrimination.
SoundTouch($4.99)offers 360
sounds and images. There are 6 high quality photos of different frog species in
Sound Touch. Each is accompanied by the sound the frog makes.
Video Touch - Animals(1.99 – prices fluctuate) has48 fascinating video clips of animals, including four of different frog species My kiddos are
mesmerized!
Frogs in the meadow.
Can’t get them out.(Shake
finger on beat)
Take a little stick (Mime
holding stick.
And stir them about.Stir in wide circle with full body.)
Leap! Leap! Leap!(Leap
three times)
c.2015 Elsa Sreenivasam. Detail
·Sing the song while class listens. Pat the beat on knees while singing (I
like to hold a beanie frog in my hand and bounce it on my knee). Jump your frog forward (on floor) while chanting “Leap!
Leap! Leap!” Ask – “How many ‘leaps”
did my frog take?” (three)Invite
kiddos to sing, using their fists for frogs.
·Stand up. Sing the song with suggested motions, or what you determine is
best. Jump
in place the first time, then model leaping into the circle the second time.
Extensions:
·Line up kiddos, 4 at a time (mas o menos) and
have a leaping contest.
oSpeed
version: Stand on the perimeter of your classroom rug. Designate 4 sides of
square and choose which side will leap first (one side at a time). Proceed to
next side, until everyone has a turn.
·With parachute. Place beanie frogs on parachute.
Ask participants to sway side to side while singing song (move parachute side to side. On each “Leap” – bounce
parachute so the frogs go flying up into the air. Retrieve frogs from the floor,
and do again. Many options: Sitting, standing, children under parachute or not, etc.
Using comparative voices and movements is also fun.
NOTE: There are many versions of
this song, and many melodies. I even found a chase game – for lack of a better
word – that I’ll try next year with older kiddos. For now, I’ll use this
version that has been a sure-fire hit ever since I learned it from Ms.
Stephanie at Ronald Knox Montessori School twenty years ago!
Thanks for reading! I hope you’ll join me next month for more summer
songs.
Until then, happy singing!
c. Brigid Finucane
Call Me For Your Professional Development!
I’d love to help your school or community blossom
musically! My specialty is music
and literacy teacher training (with a dose of technology), singing games and
dances from around the world, and more! If you’re local (Chicago), I’m Gateways
registered and IAC approved – at least for the next three years! See my contact
info below.Please look for my
workshops through Illinois Children’s Home and Aid.
Merit School of Music, Chicago
…Call on Merit School of Music! Our onsite school
is in the West Loop. We work in the schools throughout the area providing band,
orchestra, percussion, choir, early childhood, and general music instruction
with project based units including Recorder, Music and Storytelling and
Songwriting. We do great work! YoYo Ma is a supporter!
Chicago Families
Please come to Merit’s Storytime sessions – the 2nd
and 4th Mondays of the month. It’s free, fun, and facilitated by
singers and storytellers Amy Lowe, Irica Baurer & me. Stories and songs
start at 11am, and we end with instrument exploration and family
networking.Breaking news:
Storytime will continue through the summer months, so come on down!
The next session is June 22.
And in the End
My posts are historically archived
below. Click a link to read about Chinese New Year, Pete Seeger, Music and
Literacy, Listening Locally to Musicians from the Midwest, Great Lakes and
Ontario! Then Pass It On!
I am continually inspired by The Children’s Music Network (CMN) community. an
international group of socially conscious musicians, educators, librarians,
families, songwriters and good people, who “celebrate the positive power of
music in the lives of children by sharing songs, exchanging ideas, and creating
community.” Please visit CMN, and find a gathering in your region.
Miss Carole from Macaroni Soup here in
Chicago. By the time this post goes
live, the Blackhawks will have either won the Stanley Cup or subjected me to a
Game 7 – I am hoping for my sanity that it is cup-kissing time at The United
Center!
Roll the ball to me!
However, not to leave you in the lurch for a
monthly musical activity for indoors or out, I am dusting off one of my student’s favorites: “Roll the Ball”. I’m
not sure where I learned it – anyone out there know who wrote it, or what 78
rpm record it was on during my childhood in Massachusetts? Or did my mother make it up and play it with me? Who knows?
“Ball” was one of my daughter’s first words –
and in 26 years of teaching I’ve yet to find a child who didn’t enjoy playing
with one!
“Roll the Ball” can be done with very young
children – either playing with another child, or with an adult. Partners sit facing each other, legs extended
(V-seat.) Toddlers and Preschoolers sit
with feet touching their partner’s, while K’s can sit a little further apart if
space allows.
Bounce the ball. Bounce the ball!
LYRICS:
Roll the ball. Roll the
ball.
Roll the ball to me.
Roll it, roll it.
Roll the ball to me.
Bounce the ball. Bounce
the ball.
Bounce the ball to me.
Bounce it. Bounce it.
Bounce the ball to me.
You lose it - go get it!
Toss the ball. Toss the
ball.
Toss the ball to me.
Toss it. Toss it.
Toss the ball to me.
Demonstrate
what rolling (keeping the ball on the floor) looks like by sitting with a
partner and pushing the ball gently back and forth while singing. Note that the ball stays on the floor. For the second verse, give the ball a gentle
bounce toward your partner – keeping it a gentle bounce, not over your partner’s
head! If the ball scoots away, children
must retrieve their own ball.
Now you are ready for
everyone to find a partner and sit facing them, legs extended.
Give
one ball to each couple. I use
tennis balls, but small beach balls work well, too. Begin
singing. With 3 year olds and younger, I then return to rolling to end the
session.
With PreK 4’s and K’s, I add the third verse: “Toss the ball!” Demonstrate that it is not a throw –
it is an underhand toss into your partner’s waiting hands. I encourage the catching child to make “cup
hands” for a target. Repeat the verse 3-4
times, as this is a skill that takes practice. As above, for your final verse
return to rolling – get that ball down on the floor again to bring the
excitement level down.
When we have done our final “roll the ball verse” I say, “FREEZE! Whoever is has the ball right now may bring
it to the ball bin.” This makes it so
that there isn’t a fight for who puts the ball away.
Great Big Ball!
There you have it –
simple, skill-based and fun! Children
work on gross motor coordination, cooperation, teamwork,communication, vocabulary
and singing while moving …and they think it’s just an enjoyable game!
For another excellent
singing game with a ball, check out my September 2013 blog: Great Big Ball. It’s another favorite!
By Deb Chitwood from Living Montessori Now Dinosaur activities are always fun for dinosaur lovers. And a dinosaur theme is one of my favorite summer units (especially fun this summer with the opening of Jurassic World)!
I shared a list of free dinosaur printables in my post today at Living Montessori Now. Here, I'm sharing some Montessori-inspired dinosaur math activities using free printables for preschoolers through first graders. You'll find many activities for preschoolers through first graders throughout the year along with presentation ideas in my previous posts at PreK + K Sharing. You'll also find ideas for using free printables to create activity trays here: How to Use Printables to Create Montessori-Inspired Activities. At Living Montessori Now, I have a post with resource links of Free Printables for Montessori Homeschools and Preschools. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Count the DinosaursFree Printable: Count the Dinosaurs from Dinosaur Pack (part 2) from 3 Dinosaurs. I also used the numbers from the same printable. For older children, there are Greater Than/Less Than, Add the Dinosaurs, and Subtract the Dinosaurs printables in the same printable pack. You could have more than one printable on the tray to accommodate different ages and ability levels. Free Printable: Safari Ltd. Dino Babies TOOB Key hosted at Living Montessori Now This activity uses a large plastic tray from Montessori Services and a smaller Montessori Services clear acrylic tray for 10 dinosaurs from the Safari Ltd. Dinos TOOB For the layout, I used a Montessori Services rug. I used the Safari Ltd. TOOB key as a separate matching activity for children and as a way for you to identify each of the dinosaurs on the tray. Palentologist Skip Counting Puzzles Free Printable: Palentologist Puzzles from Dinosaur Update (Dinosaur Pack part 4) from 3 Dinosaurs I simply printed out, laminated, and cut out the puzzle pieces. I like that there's a male paleontologist and a female paleontologist. They look the same except for their hair. Each puzzle has skip counting by 2's to 20. To make it more challenging, you could put both puzzles in the same container. I used a Really Useful Pencil Box.
I love activity bags for trips and waiting rooms, so I also put together a paleontologist skip counting puzzles activity bag. This sort of activity would be easy to prepare with any printable puzzle. I used a zippered pencil pouch for the bag. Dinosaur Number Mazes
Free Printable: Dinosaur Roar PreK-K Pages from Homeschool Encouragement
This was super simple to prepare. I used two dinosaurs from the Safari Ltd. Dinos TOOB. The child simply flies the pterodactyl through the maze or walks the dinosaur through the maze. There are two mazes ... one with numbers from 1-10 and one with skip counting by 10's to 100. Dinosaur Number Line Addition and Subtraction/Hatching Dinosaurs
Free Printable: Dinosaur Number Line Addition and Subtraction Within 10 by The Teaching Treehouse at Teachers Pay Teachers Free Printable: Safari Ltd. Dino Babies TOOB Key hosted at Living Montessori Now For this activity, I used the 10 dino babies from the Safari Ltd. Dino Babies TOOB. You could use regular dinosaurs rather than dino babies, but I think the dino babies are a cute touch. The tray is a Multicraft tray, and the small basket is a Montessori Services basket. Montessori Services carries baskets in sizes that are often difficult to find. You could have an erasable marker for children to write the answers on the number line card, although it would be fine for the child to simply find the correct answer on the number line. The answer could be checked by adding or subtracting the eggs with the dinosaur babies. I placed the dinosaurs in jumbo plastic Easter eggs. (Note: You'll find a fun subtraction activity using "dinosaur eggs" at Every Star Is Different.) If you have younger children, you could use dinosaur count and clip cards or dinosaur number cards to match to the correct number of eggs. The child could place the numbers upside down and draw the number to match with the correct number of "dinosaur eggs." Again, the Safari Ltd. TOOB key is for the child to match the dinosaurs at the end and to make it easier for you to identify each of the dinosaur babies.
Measuring Dinosaurs
Free Printable: Dinosaur Unit Science and Culture Printable Pack from Every Star Is Different Every Star is Different has an amazing number of free dinosaur cards. I printed out and cut out some of the dinosaurs found in the Safari Ltd. Dino TOOB. Then I glued the dinosaur image on one side with the skeleton and dinosaur length on the other side. I used a simple bamboo paper plate holder to hold the cards and a tape measure. This activity would be fun for two children or a group of children (or one child and parent or teacher). This would definitely be a good activity to take outdoors!
Here's the link to my favorite laminator ... inexpensive and great for almost any activity that needs to be laminated!
More Free Dinosaur Printables and Montessori-Inspired Dinosaur Activities
Deb Chitwood is a certified Montessori teacher with a master’s degree in Early Childhood Studies from Sheffield Hallam University in Sheffield, England. Deb taught in Montessori schools in Iowa and Arizona before becoming owner/director/teacher of her own Montessori school in South Dakota. Later, she homeschooled her two children through high school. Deb is now a Montessori writer who lives in San Diego with her husband of 40 years (and lives in the city where her kids, kids-in-law, and toddler granddaughter live). She blogs at Living Montessori Now.
When
I teach the Music with Mar. program in preschools, I only go to their
classrooms for 15 minutes. The ability of a 1, 2 or 3 year old to sit in
circle time is minimal. One or two songs is what they can be expected to
sit for. Some will argue they work with 2-year-olds and it’s possible.
Yes. It is, but it's a lot of work and not necessarily age appropriate. Rather than a special person
appearing to teach 'music', the classroom teacher / caregiver should integrate
music into what they are already doing. My philosophy is “You aren't teaching music; you are
using music to teach.”
