This is also a fun way to learn friends' names!
We believe that music expands the mind and bolsters learning. We aim to provide curriculum, visual aids and activities that bring joy and knowledge to young children.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Monday, August 26, 2019
How To Have a Great Circle Time
Let's talk about how to make an amazing Circle Time in your early childhood classroom! An effective Circle Time at the beginning of the day sets the tone for the rest of the day. So make it great!
Greet Your Students!
There are many "hello" or "welcome" songs are out there and we have used many of them, but this one always resurfaces as a favorite.
Count Classmates
If your class is small, this is a great chance to practice counting. Have the students get out their "counting finger" (pointer finger) and count their classmates to see how many are here.
Routines
Routines are important to young children; they love the predictability of a routine and feel empowered when they know what to expect. Great routine activities include talking about the weather, reviewing the days of the week and months of the year, and talking about the seasons of the year and what season it is now.
WEATHER
Days of the Week Song
(to the tune of Clementine)
There are seven days, there are seven days,
There are seven days in a week.
There are seven days, there are seven days,
There are seven days in a week.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
MONTHS OF THE YEAR
SEASONS OF THE YEAR
Then, if attention permits, end with one or two learning activities. Here are a few ideas. And, remember, that it's OK - and actually a really good idea - to let the kiddos get up and move during these.
Transition
If the students transition to free play or stations after Circle Time, this little rhyme can help with planning and verbal skills.
Bibbidi bobbidi boo!
What are you going to do?
(Point a magic wand at each child and have him tell
you where he is going to play!)
Music
Playing music is a great way to help students transition to a new activity. It serves as a cue of what is going to happen and of the behavior that is expected of them.
Transition Songs
And don't forget to have fun!
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Using Music to Teach Beginning Consonant Sounds
My background is in Early Childhood Special Education and I started my career in Early Intervention, often teaching sweet toddlers how to talk and communicate. I found that using music to teach and practice beginning consonant sounds was an amazing teaching tool.
I've put together some Beginning Consonant Song Cards you can download for free from our Teachers Pay Teachers store. So far "B" and "H" are available, but more will be posted soon so follow our store and snag them as soon as they're up!
To most effectively use these cards to assist with speech and language development, use these tips:
🎵Sing much slower than you're used to.
🎵Be animated!
🎵Let the child choose the song by holding up two picture cards to choose from. Ask, "Do you want bus or bee?" The child can make a choice using the communication level she is working on: eye gaze, pointing, baby sign, any vocalization, beginning sound, word, etc.
🎵Pause before each target word and let the child complete the phrase.
"Row, row, row your _________."
🎵Repeat many times to maximize learning!
Monday, August 12, 2019
How to Use QR Codes to Bring Music to Your Classroom
So what's a QR code anyway? In a nutshell, a QR code is a machine-readable code that is linked to a URL (or to other information). When read by a QR scanner, the device is then sent to the stored URL. QR scanners can be downloaded for free from an app store.
Now let's talk about how you can use QR codes in your classroom, specifically how to use them to bring music into your room.
Download my free list of Transition Songs to get started. While teaching, have your QR scanner ready and when it's time to transition to a new activity, scan the QR code of your song of choice and you will be directed to a YouTube page of the song. Then play it for your students - it's as easy as that! It saves you the time you would use to search for the song yourself or to put in a CD and locate the song.
Musical QR codes can be used in countless ways in the classroom but here are a few ideas:
during circle time (Months of the Year),
for a break during instruction for a quick wiggle song (Shake Your Sillies Out),
as background holiday music (The Monster Mash),
transitions (Clean Up, Clean Up),
Classical music for working (Four Seasons),
to enhance your lessons (The Shape Song).
If you think musical QR codes can enhance YOUR classroom, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers Store and take at look at my QR code compilations!
Happy scanning!
Friday, August 2, 2019
Music, Rhyming and Reading
That's a powerful statement, isn't it?
We also know that exposure to rhyming words is a key part in preparing pre-readers for reading and strengthens the beginning skills of early readers. So when young learners hear rhyming words in music their reading brains are being exercised tremendously!
Mother Goose rhymes are common way to introduce rhyming skills, but did you know that all of the popular Mother Goose rhymes have been set to music?
Here is an example:
And here is a link to the song on YouTube:
These melodies are generally not copyrighted and, therefore, can be found with a quick search on the Internet. (Make sure you use the phrase "sheet music" in your search if you are looking for actual written music.) We have also found them in books at my local library.
We decided to take the magic of rhyming words a step further and bring in a visual component by creating Rhyming Cards. This Sing of Song of Sixpence set is available for FREE in my store. Download it and see how it works for you!
My preschool students have loved using rhyming cards for lots of different songs. These cards are also available in our Music and Movement Teachers Pay Teachers Store.
Here are a few more available for purchase:
Happy singing, happy rhyming, happy reading!
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Let's talk about how to make an amazing Circle Time in your early childhood classroom! An effective Circle Time at the beginning of ... -
Music and Numbers In a previous post , we discussed the relationship between music and reading and how that relationship is processed ... -
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