Go Team Go!

I've recently become a fan of Juice Music.  Many of their songs are perfect for use with preschoolers:  catchy tunes, a limited vocal range and lyrics that are easy for young children to sing.  I've tried to find information on the singing group, to no avail.  Based on the facts that they have two songs about Australia (C'mom Aussie C'mon and Aussie Aussie Aussie (Oi Oi Oi)), and that occasionally I can hear an accent in their voices, I would assume that they are an Australian band.

Despite the lack of information on this band, I am still going to recommend their 2009 CD, Go Team Go!  This CD has several songs that would be perfect to use during the Olympics or for any sports or fitness based theme you may be using in your classroom.  For an Olympics theme, I would recommend the following songs from this CD:  I Like Swimming, Olympic Alphabet, Running Race, and Long Jump.  The CD is priced at a mere $8.99US for a downloadable copy, so go ahead and purchase the CD and see what songs you like the best.  You really can't go wrong with any of these songs!

KIDS SAY THE DARNEST THINGS!

Yesterday during one of my preschool music classes,  the kids and I were singing "The Wheels on the Bus".  We go through the whole gamut:  the wheels on the bus, the wipers on the bus, the doors on the bus, the babies on the bus...When we get to "the mommies and the daddies say, shh, shh, shh", one little 4 year old stops singing and says,
"The daddy would really say 'Cut it' to the the babies". 
"What do you mean?", I say. "Why would the daddies say, 'Cut it'"?
"The daddies would tell them to 'Cut it out', that's what they would say!"

I guess now I know what this kid's dad says when he's acting up!

OLYMPIC THEMED ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS

Although the Olympics are the big chance for athletes to prove who is the best of the best, the games are also a chance to teach children about other cultures, geography, sportsmanship and cooperation.  I am going to touch on a few ideas that can be used in the preschool classroom during the running of the Olympic games, but don't stop with my ideas.  Let these ideas inspire you to expand and create as you introduce your students to the joy of the Olympic Games!

OTHER CULTURES
Help the students recognize the flags and national anthems from different countries.  Some suggestions:

O Canada


Advance Australia Fair


La Marseillaise - French National Anthem


Nkosi Sikelel'iAfrika (South African National Anthem)




Remind preschoolers that they show respect for other countries by standing still when another country's national anthem is playing, but they DO NOT place their hands over their hearts.


SPORTSMANSHIP AND COOPERATION


1.  Host an Olympics Day - similar to a Field Day, with different types of races. Make the games and races somewhat silly - not too serious.  Don't forget to pick up some inexpensive "medals" at the party supply store for the winning teams!   Some games you can play:

• Race to see which team can blow balloons to the finish line first.  No hands allowed!
• Race while holding a balloon in between your legs.
• Water balloon toss!
• Three legged race
• Wacky Waiter.  Using a plastic plate and a ping pong ball, have children race to a certain point and back to their team mates without dropping the ball.  The first team to finish, wins!  
• Crab Race

2.  Pass the Olympic Torch.  Make an Olympic Torch out of a paper towel holder, with construction paper or tissue paper for the flames.  Have the children sit in a circle and play the music for Bugler's Dream and Olympic Fanfare.  As the music plays, have one child walk around the outside of the circle while holding the torch.  When he/she gets back to her spot in the circle, the torch gets passed to a friend.  Continue until every child has had a turn.

OLYMPIC THEMED SONGS FOR PRESCHOOLERS

The 2012 Summer Olympics will begin in London in just a few days. The two weeks of the Olympic Games provide a perfect opportunity to introduce preschoolers to these spectacular games.  Most young children do not know what the Olympics are - they haven't lived long enough to experience them!  But we can have fun with our students by incorporating an Olympics Theme into the curriculum.

There isn't a lot of preschool - appropriate music available with an Olympic Theme.  But here are a few that you can use:

The Olympic Games by Jack Hartmann
This song is written in a call and response format:  the teacher sings a phrase and the students sing it back.  Call and response songs help to teach critical listening skills and help develop musical independence.

Sports Dance by Jack Hartman
OK, it's not exactly Olympian in nature, but it is definitely sporty!  Let the lyrics guide you in creating simple dance moves with this song:  the baseball throw, the runner's stretch, the swimmer's crawl.  For a rainy day, when the kids can't go outside and play, this song can also provide some much needed exercise for the kids!

Bugler's Dream and Fanfare by John Williams
This is the song that is played during the opening ceremony and the lighting of the Olympic torch.  It's a long song, so I'm also going to give you a link to just the Bugler's Dream portion of the song, which is only 48 seconds long!

Running Race by Juice Music
A race with dad makes this a fun song to pretend to!

PREPARING PRESCHOOLERS FOR MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

One of the sweetest events in the world is watching young children perform a recital solo or simple musical program or play. It's fun to see which children will surprise us with their shenanigans (nose picking, twirling around on stage and waving to mom and dad).  It's also satisfying to see that young children are learning valuable skills and are capable of working together toward a common goal.  When a preschool music or theatrical program is done well, it is indeed one of my favorite things to watch.

I've been to many of these programs where I leave smiling and feeling the joy of a job done well.  I've also left many of these programs wondering, "What in the world were those teachers thinking?".  Some things that drive me crazy when young children perform are:

1.  Playing the performance track of a song for the children to sing along with.  This is very often done in church settings when the children are presenting a song during the worship service.  I hate hearing the voices on the CD drowning out the voices of the children on stage.  If you are using a CD, make sure that you only use the accompaniment track.  Many songs come in a split track format so that you can tune out the vocal line.  Let the children on stage shine!

2. Using choreography that is too complicated.  A great tool for teaching songs to young children is to have them associate certain hand movements or simple choreography with certain song lyrics.  Everybody does this with The Itsy Bitsy Spider.  Incorporating simple movements with a song makes the learning process fun for kids and can be helpful in teaching basic stage presence.  However, if you find that the children cannot project or they stop singing all together because they are focusing on the movements, then it's time to simplify or remove the choreography from the song.

3.  Programming songs that do not follow developmental milestones.  Young children need  simple melodies and rhythmic patterns to sing.  They have a rather small vocal range, of only 5 or 6 notes, and many have not yet developed the ability to sing on pitch.   I've heard young children try to sing songs by Miley Cyrus, Tim McGraw, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson, just to name a few.  From a strictly musical perspective, all of these songs were bad choices - but lyically...some of the songs were really bad choices!

4.  Having a program last too long.  15 - 20 minutes is about all young children can manage.  45 -60 minutes is asking for trouble!

If you are planning a musical program for young children and are looking for some ideas, please email me.  I have several scripts that I could send you for a nominal fee ($8 a piece).  If you have an theme in mind and need help making your idea a reality, I would be glad to help you with that also.

FREE PARACHUTE EXPRESS SAMPLER CD

If you are even remotely familiar with children's music, then you have at least heard of Parachute Express.  This trio of performers has the heart, soul and natural talent to work with (and for) children.  The music of Parachute Express is always upbeat and positive and their music never falls into the trap of thinking that it has to sound like popular music of the day.  This group of performers understands the developmental needs of children and their music is a perfect combination of contemporary and young-child appropriate.

Currently Amazaon has a Parachute Express Sampler available for FREE.  All of these songs come from previous Parachute Express recordings.  If you like what you hear on this sampler (and I'm sure you will), go ahead and take a look at some of their other CDs.

Amazon has several Parachute Express CDs available.    You can also find their music on their website:  www.parachuteexpress.com

BRUSH YOUR TEETH!

Brush Your Teeth Chant

Brush your teeth
Up and down
In the front and back
Brush your teeth
Around and round
In the front and back

Floss your teeth
Every one
In the front and back
Floss your teeth
Every one
In front and back
                             - Rohde


Dentist and Teeth Songs

Brush Your Teeth from the CD 25 Toddler Songs Preschoolers Love to Sing
I Brush My Teeth by Goggatjie
The Dentist is Your Smile's Best Friend by Miss Jackie Silberg




An Idea


Prepare a plastic baggie with a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss.  Introduce each item to the children and ask them to identify it.

Demonstrate how to use each item.  Show them that only a little bit of toothpaste is needed when we brush.

One aspect of dental hygiene that young children often neglect is brushing their teeth for long enough. You can help children know how long to brush their teeth by having them sing through Mary Had a Little Lamb (twice) while pretending to brush your teeth.  Then, have them hum through the tune two times while they pretend to brush their teeth. 

Over sized toothbrushes and teeth make learning about dental hygiene even more fun for preschoolers.  Visit your local costume shop and pick up some tooth props to make the learning experience one that your students will never forget!

4th OF JULY

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY EVERYONE!!

MORE PATRIOTIC MUSIC FOR PRESCHOOLERS

The Star-Spangled Banner, America's beautiful national anthem, has faced attack by many non-musical, non-poetic people, calling it "notoriously difficult to sing" and claiming that the lyrics are archaic. These arguments, in my opinion, are hogwash.  Yes, the melody of our national anthem spans an octave and a half (but so do many pop, Broadway and country songs).  But frankly, I believe that Americans have gotten lazy when it comes to singing.  Anything higher than 3rd space C on a treble clef and people start shrieking that a song is too high.  As a church music leader, I hear this all the time:  we have to make sure that the congregation doesn't have to sing outside their comfort zone, choir members consider a song difficult if it uses a range of more than 5 or 6 notes, we want the language of our songs to "speak" to the average person.  We have not only gotten lazy with out voices, but also with our brains.  Deciphering the language of even obvious poetic stanzas is too much trouble for us.  I am not claiming to have the most outstanding voice in the world (far from it) and I'm not claiming to be a lover of poetry (I've tried reading through books of poetry, but it's not my favorite genre of writing). But I do appreciate the poetic value of hymns, art songs and, yes, America's national anthem.

Let's take a look at the words and see if they are really that hard to understand:

Oh say, can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming (Hey, can you see in the morning what we say last night?)


Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming (we saw the flag flying over the ramparts of the fort)


And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there (even bombs and rockets exploding couldn't move our flag)


Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? (the flag is still standing and we're a country of freedom!)


When you take a moment to read through the lyrics of the national anthem, you realize that they aren't that hard to understand.  Yes, there are three other verses for The Star-Spangled Banner, but we generally only sing the first verse.  If you would like to take a look at the other verses, you can check out this website:  USA Flag Site


       wall with ramparts

Here are 3 versions of the American National Anthem you could play for your preschoolers:

1.  Cedarmont Kids

2.  Cactus Cuties

3.  2012 Florida Music Educators Association All-State Elementary and Middle School Choruses

As you sing this song, teach your students how to show proper respect for our national anthem.  Everyone should stop, be quiet, face the flag and place their right hand over their heart.  Remind boys that they need to remove their hats while the national anthem is playing. A great way to teach this is to play "What Am I Doing Wrong?". While the national anthem is playing, you can fidget, talk to your friend, sit down in a chair, or some other inappropriate activity and then ask the children what you did wrong while the anthem was playing.  Then choose a child or two to demonstrate the proper way to behave when they hear our national anthem.

PATRIOTIC SONGS AND ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS! PART 1

Pull out the flags and get ready to celebrate The 4th of July with your preschoolers! With all the wonderful patriotic tunes that help define the spirit of national pride in our great country, this is the perfect week to work on singing and marching skills with young students.  I believe strongly in teaching our children to sing God Bless America, America the Beautiful and even The Star-Spangled Banner.  I know there is much debate on the singability of our national anthem and I will acknowledge that it does not fall within the parameters of a young child's vocal range, but that should not deter us from introducing this song that is our country's National Anthem to young children.

1.  America the Beautiful.  Use pictures to help children learn the first verse of this song.  As you are singing America the Beautiful, remember that the word "mountain" is used in the singular form.  So, the correct lyrics are "purple mountain majesties" and not "purple mountains majesty"


Oh beautiful for spacious skies




For amber waves of grain




For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain




America!  America!  God shed his grace on thee





And crown they good with brotherhood






From sea to shining sea