Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
PreK, Kindergarten Singing Games and Activities for Pitch Matching
My YouTube video in this weeks Music Box newsletter features one of hundreds of activities I use for matching pitch and singing in tune. Why so many? What works with one child doesn’t work with the next. What will get the quiet one, the one who doesn’t participate, to finally sing? Will it be Who’s that Hatching from In All Kinds of Weather, Kids Make Music or Scubba Man from Songs of the Sea? Or maybe, Farmer Brown’s Cow from Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic or Walking Through the Jungle from Jungle Beat? All my books contain opportunities for solo singing so you can hear the child’s voice, evaluate and assist. Every child can learn to sing, especially if you play these games often, with variety, and at a young age.
This lesson features a singing frog to encourage solos and prepares for our Jump Frog Jump book activity. The video shows a little boy who does not sing, in fact, this boy has not sung in any of our weekly pitch matching “solo singing” activities. Notice how I put the blame on our frog puppet for not singing, not on the child. I always give the opportunity to participate but when he doesn’t, I turn the conversation away from him and be silly with the puppet. I believe it takes even longer, or certainly lowers your chances for participation if you look at the child and pressure the child. What finally got this student to participate with his singing voice? Weeks later, it was the little owl finger puppet flying out of the “nest.” And next it was the baby owl’s parent, the big Snowy Owl. Music Box members, download your free Owl singing fun.
And use your Music Box Members discount code (on the home page) to order your own singing frog and owl puppets! They will encourage singing and make music a very special time for you and your students!
For more on this subject or others, use the Search feature in Music Box and type in solo singing or pitch matching.
Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
Dear Music Box Friends
This week, a few of your questions inspired us to do a video tour of Music Box to highlight some of Music Box’s resource areas. We hope this is helpful. As always, your questions and suggestions are so valuable. Music Box has become what it is because of you!
As I visit and meet music teachers across the country, Classroom Management in the Elementary Music Room is an area that challenges even the most experienced teachers but certainly new teachers. Having hired and trained teachers at Music Rhapsody for well over 30 years, this is the area the new teachers struggle with the most. This weeks blog is all about classroom management. Non-verbal comm! unication has been an invaluable tool for me and my students. Don’t say it, play it! Do you have your bag of signals? A cowbell, sopranino, finger cymbals and a tick-tock block can help with classroom management. We have them here in the Music Rhapsody Online Shop.
And finally, yes, I am still finishing up those videos you have been asking for to show me with my Rhythm Readers and Melody Makers classes, grades K-2. It won’t be long! Stay tuned!
Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
Hi Music Box Friends,
JUMP FROG JUMP! SING FROG SING! Check out these videos from our Music Rhapsody Membership. These videos give a peek at one of the videos included for teachers from Lesson 3: Young Musicians, ages 4-6. Depending on your teaching situation, this could be PreK, Kindergarten or Grade 1. Music Rhapsody membership is available to all teachers after the online or live training. We have 3 awesome locations for summer 2017.
These activities lead into the Jump Frog Jump Book and uses one of Music Rhapsody’s Frog Puppets. In my blog this week, I talk about solo singing and different creative ways to reach even the quietest of students.
We have an exciting giveaway announcement! Go to the Music Rhapsody Facebook Page. Here are the rules:
- Like the post
- Comment
- Share
Do it and you’re entered in the drawing to win our Music Rhapsody Frog Pack with our Frog puppet, Jump Frog Jump Book, and Jungle Beat CD! The winner will be announced in our newsletter next week!
Aug 13, 2024 | Recorder & Orff
I recently had a request for written notation of what I might play for improvisation on the sopranino recorder. Specifically to play after a Tideo verse is sung, while the children have “free exploration” time on their Orff instrument (which are all set up in C pentatonic, remove Fs and Bs). Music Rhapsody Members have this song in their lesson plans and videos. (You can also find the Orff Orchestration in Music Box downloads, Hello/Goodbye Songs). Here’s the melody:
Below is an example of an easy improvisation for someone new to improvisation. The teacher would play this on the sopranino recorder (so you can be heard) as the students ”improvise” on their Orff or percussion instrument. I suggest you get very comfortable playing the melody and next just add a few embellishments to it.
Eventually, you can add more rhythmic and melodic changes. Please notice that I always end on high C so the children clearly hear that the improvisation time has ended!
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Teacher Training Live & Online
Music Box Sign Up
Aug 13, 2024 | Activities
I have a variety of materials I use for holiday concerts as well as holiday lessons. The SEARCH feature in Music Box will allow you to find specific topics and age groups, watch videos of learning the materials, practicing them and performing them at the show. It makes our holiday concerts look more festive when the children all wear their halos (made out of garland) for Angel Band (and mp3), or hold their sparkle stars while moving them to the direction of the melody of our Star Medley (and the mp3!) or shaking their jingle bells to our bell medley. Many ideas are in music box. Just search for Holiday lessons and you will see videos and downloads for music, lyrics and teaching process.
One recording I enjoy using as it gets closer to the holidays is Take a Potato, this is from the delightful Chanukah CD by the talented singing group, The Shirettes. Check it out in Music box music downloads! This is one of our favorite for playing the 3 beats on the repeated words on gathering drum or hand drums. The complete CD is also for sale through the Music Rhapsody Store.
The Chubby Little Snowman is now available with very fun Smart Board Visuals. Remember Music Box friends, the SEARCH feature is your friend! It will help you to find specific topics for suggestions for all age groups.
Search Holiday materials and you will find plenty! But if you need something just click Ask Lynn Questions on the home page.
Save
