Practice Preschool - Making Music Week 2

How is preschool going? My intention was to post the lesson plans late last week--clearly that didn't happen! Oh well :D I do what I can when I can do it. At least it's a free resource!

Rowan and I talked about our Preschool Rules last Tuesday. The three that I chose are:

1. Stay in your spot (this will translate to staying in your seat in elementary school)

2. Be quiet (during explicit lesson, activities and free play are the exceptions)

3. Clean up (preferably after each activity)

I wrote the rules on a giant sketchpad ($5 at Walmart) so I can keep them on display. 

Tuesday went really, really smoothly! The honeymoon phase. When the novelty wore off on Thursday, Rowan got out of his spot a few times. We had to take a timeout and when we resumed, he was much better. He told his grandma later that day that he learned how to sit in his spot at preschool :D Children don't always learn from their mistakes (if only we could control them, but we all have the right to use our agency!) but sometimes the teaching moments turn out just right :)

Week 2

Day 1

• Sunbeam Lesson 2 (see Week 1 post) "Heavenly Father Has a Body" (5 min)

Sing, "I am a Child of God" and review the concept of living with God prior to coming to Earth. Talk about how we have a body just like Heavenly Father. Complete two-sided puzzle. With Heavenly Father and Jesus on one side, and children on the other side, children can see we are created in their image. 

• Pitter Pattern Book by Joyce Hesselberth (5 min)

Read picture book and talk about patterns. Draw simple patterns on large sketch book or white board. Ask child what would come next in the pattern. Talk about patterns in music: beats, chorus, repeating notes, etc. 

• Make an instrument for culminating lesson - Paper Plate Tambourine (5 min)

*Materials:

-Paper plates, bells, ribbon/string, hole punch, scissors, markers/stickers/etc. for decorating

*Instructions:

1. Decorate plates 

2. Hole punch 3-8 holes depending on size of plate (we're using small dessert plates leftover from Easter)

3. Thread two bells through each hole. 

4. Curl strips of ribbon or string and add to plate.

5. Test out your tambourine!

Full instructions at: https://redtri.com/easy-diy-tambourine/

Optional: Sing a few songs to get used to using the tambourine.  

My favorite were: 

1. Shake Your Tambourine (1. Verse: Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake your tambourine. 2. Verse: Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap your tambourine) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEuu-ZkKnPY Many of these YouTube videos I just watch for reference and then sing with my child without the video.

2. I change the lyrics to familiar songs all the time! The one I thought of for this is "Mary Had a Little Lamb". (Verse 1: I have my own tambourine, tambourine, tambourine, I have my own tambourine to make a little music. Verse 2: I can shake my tambourine, tambourine, tambourine, I can shake my tambourine, listen to it jingle.) Doesn't have to be fancy!

• Snack (5 min) 

Today's tip: Make your own trail mix! Throw in crackers, raisins, mini marshmallows, etc. Get creative!   

• Free Play (20 min)

Read books about music (from the library, around the house, or on YouTube when all else fails!), practice conducting music, play Dance & Freeze (play a song on a CD player/phone/computer and dance to the music! Freeze when the music stops. Or any other fun toys around the house! Ask your child open ended questions throughout. Add your own ideas, anything goes! 

Day 2

• STEAM Lesson (Technology) "Number Book" (5-10 min)

Briefly discuss how numbers tell us "how many" of something there are. 

*Materials:

-Toys, household objects, cheap photo album (Walmart or Dollar Store), digital camera or phone, photos

Cameras are technology because they are tools to help us remember things/events.

*Instructions:

1. Have your child take ten different pictures of objects beginning with 0 and ending with 10. i.e. one ball, six blocks, nine legos, etc. We adapted ours and did 0-5.

2. Print the pictures (either at home or at the store)

3. Put in order in photo album

4. Read often!

Sing: Any sort of number song (Five Little Monkey's, 1, 2, Buckle My Shoe, 1 little, 2 little, 3 little ___________ <--We sing this song for EVERYTHING! Cars, soccer balls, you name it! Just make up the last part: go on the road, score a goal, etc.)

• Learn a new song! (5 min)

There are so many fun finger plays and action songs to learn! Music is also a great way to re-gather/reset. A chant that I like to use is with your hands: Make fists in front of you and say, "Open them, shut them, open them shut them, give your hands a clap. Open them, shut them, open them, shut them, put them in your lap. 

The song we will learn this week is: "A Hunting We Will Go"

• Make an instrument for culminating lesson - Rhythm Sticks (5 min)

I already have a few sets of rhythm sticks, so we are taking a little break from making an instrument. If you don't have rhythm sticks, use substitutes! Wooden spoons, real sticks, use your imagination.

Optional: Sing a few songs to get used to the rhythm sticks. Discuss things to do with your sticks, and things not to do! (Tap them on the ground, for example, but not on your sibling!)

My favorite are: 

1. Tap Your Sticks (To the tune of Wheels on the Bus) "The rhythm sticks go tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. The rhythm sticks go tap, tap, tap, all through the song."

You can also use the rhythm sticks with the original song and use your sticks as the actions. 

2. Bingo Song. Tap your sticks for the missing letter. 

• Snack (5 min)

Today's Tip: Have you tried "That's It" bars? They only contain two ingredients! Apples and blueberries or Apples and Mangoes...not sure what other flavors there are but they are found at Costco in bulk, too! I'm a fan! They taste like a hearty fruit leather 😋

• Free Play (15-20 min)

I haven't gotten to many of these ideas so I'm keeping them here...Brainstorming a field trip. Sing songs together! Try singing "Down by the Bay" to practice rhyming. Play "Hot" or "Cold": Have your toddler stand outside the door for a quick second, hide an object. Bring your toddler back in and sing a song to help them find the object: sing loud when they are close, and quiet when they are far away. Sing a song different ways using emotions: grumpy, happy, sad, silly, etc.