Here’s a quick, easy, and inexpensive way (music to a teacher’s ears, right?) to create a great tool for incorporating music and auditory discernment. Whoa, back up the truck, what was that? “Auditory discernment” is the ability to hear the differences and similarities between two sounds. It can be as simple as hearing the difference between [...]
Posts Tagged as ‘music’
January 26, 2010
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
I try to fit a nursery rhyme, fable, or fairy tale into each unit. As I’ve mentioned before, these are the literary classics of childhood! When talking about the arts and the senses, I like to introduce the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin! You can check out a book to read out loud, create [...]
December 30, 2009
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons- Don’t Just Listen, Get Up and Move!
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons has always been one of my favorite musical works. This program music is so beautiful and powerful, but also so descriptive, you can literally see in your mind and feel in your bones what Vivaldi is trying to describe with his music. (And if you aren’t sure what he’s trying to describe, [...]
September 12, 2009
Clean It Up!
While we’re on the topic of clean up time, I thought I’d mention that I use Laurie Berkner’s song, “Clean It Up” as my clean up music. (You can find it at iTunes for just a dollar. Though if you can get out of iTunes having only spent one dollar, my hat’s off to you!) [...]
August 31, 2009
Make Your Own Rhythm Sticks
Rhythm sticks are a must-have for a preschool program! As long as you have enough dexterity to get your two hands to come together in the same general area (a fantastic feat for very young ones) you can play this instrument! Use them as part of a percussion band, or for specific rhythm stick activities. They magically [...]
June 16, 2009
It’s Raining!
I would say that my rain stick is probably the most popular instrument I own. The children love the hushing, captivating sound, and it requires very little skill to play. Basically, if you’re capable of grasping with your hand and turning with your wrist, you’re a natural! I’ll give you instructions here to make your own [...]
March 19, 2009
Make Those Shaky Eggs
Shaky eggs have to be one of the simplest instruments for children to play. Even toddlers participate with ease when egg shakers are involved! In fact, as soon as infants can grasp with their hands, they can play shaky eggs! I’ve seen shaky eggs for sale for as much as $5 for a set of 2! I’m [...]
March 19, 2009
Brain Child or Whole Child? The True Value of Music for Preschoolers
Photo provided by dmc506. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” It is a transcendent medium, one that takes on a variety of forms to meet the intrinsic needs of each person. It is enlivening and motivating. This we can all agree on. What has been debated in recent decades is the [...]
