Practice Preschool - Making Music Week 4

If your child isn't as engaged in a particular lesson, try using a hand puppet as the teacher :) You could also use an object as a pointer. Switch it up, be creative!

Also, flexibility is so important! You know your child best, feel out your audience to determine if you need to switch the order of things or eliminate/add activities as well as expound/extrapolate. My lessons rarely go exactly as they are written down--this "preschool" is just as much a practice for me as well as for Rowan. I'm getting a feel for what three-year-olds can do (if I teach three-year-olds, I plan to have four/five-year-olds the year before Kindergarten). I'll either edit the posts now with what I like, or keep them and adapt them for my future group of students.  

Week 4

Day 1

• Sunbeam Lesson 4 (see Week 1 post) "I Can Pray to Heavenly Father  " (5 min)

Talk about prayer -- Share the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den. Sing, A Child's Prayer.  Add experiences and principles as desired. Expound on prayer, or buy the book: Sunday Savers, as talked about in Week 1 post. 

• Song Jar (5 min)

Write down your favorite songs on slips of paper. Draw a few out of the jar to sing today! Alternately, write down ways to sing a particular song (fast/slow, silly/serious, old man/woman, etc.)

• Make an instrument for culminating lesson -  "You are an instrument!" (5 min)

Talk about how there are many ways you can make music without any instrument at all! Singing, humming, whistling, clapping, tapping, stomping, etc. Sing: "Do as I'm Doing" to practice the many variations. 

• Snack (5 min) 

Today's tip: Make a fruit/veggie smoothie! Rowan is obsessed with these, especially when he gets to use a straw to drink them! :)

• Free Play (20 min)

If the weather is nice, go outside! Visit a new park, go for a walk/bike ride, or just explore the backyard. If desired, have the entire lesson outside. 

Day 2

• STEAM Lesson (Art) "Vertical Painting" (5 min)

Since most months don't have five weeks, one for each letter of "STEAM", I wouldn't normally have a lesson for the subject of the corresponding theme. Since we are focusing on music this month, a form of art, that would be the subject I would skip. Since there are five weeks, I am including this art lesson. 

Vertical Painting

*Materials:

-Plastic Sign Holder/Frame (or other vertical substitute), paper, colored water/paint, eye droppers/pipettes. 

*Instructions

1. Attach paper to frame using tape or a clothespin.

2. Fill eye dropper/pipette with colored water.

3. Drip onto paper and watch it trickle downward. 

• Brain Break (5 min)

Try out a new finger play! Visit the YouTube channel: Jbrary for ideas!

• Review instruments for culminating lesson - (5 min)

Bring out all the instruments you've made so far this month and review their names, as well as the sounds they make. Sing your favorite songs you've learned with them. 

My favorites were: 

1. Egg Shaker: 1-2, Shake it on Your Shoe and Shake Your Shaker

2. Drums: Can You Play the Drums? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppuQF_2LqAw 

3. Rhythm Sticks: Tap Your Sticks (to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus)

4. Tambourine: Shake Your Tambourine

5. Comb Kazoo: Ours worked pretty well, but not well enough to last for a song. I might buy a cheap kazoo at the dollar store...we'll see. Otherwise, we'll just disregard it.

6. Shoebox Banjo: I've Been Working on the Railroad (...someone's in the kitchen with Dina, strumming on the old banjo...)

7. Your Body! With "Do as I'm Doing". 

• Snack (5 min)

Today's Tip: My son LOVES to dip things! What does your child love? Dip ideas: Apples in peanut butter, carrots or other veggies in ranch, graham crackers in milk, etc. 

• Free Play (20 min)

Have a sensory experience--use water, sand, dried beans, colored rice, or anything you can think of, in a bin/bathtub. Add in scoops, cups, spoons, etc. for added variety. Rowan has been really into using his bulldozer recently--he's used it in the dirt in the backyard and scooping plastic beads--we also use these beads to string on a colored shoelace to strengthen his fine motor skills. 

Practice Preschool - Making Music Week 3

I've decided to go back to older posts, when I can, and embed photos of us at preschool. This will help with visuals, as well as serve as a keepsake for us. 

Rowan and I go on a daily walk/bike ride. It was so lovely this week to see the trees blossoming! The change in seasons lends itself to rich conversation and new vocabulary. Find additional ways to turn every day things into small teaching moments. 

Week 3

Day 1

• Sunbeam Lesson 3 (see Week 1 post) "Heavenly Father's Plan for Us" (5 min)

Sing, "Heavenly Father Loves Me", using simple pictures as visuals, if desired. Discuss how Heavenly Father has a plan of happiness for us. A simple explanation could be: Heavenly Father's plan was for us to come to Earth to get a body, like we talked about last week. We are here to learn and grow. With our bodies, we can learn to make right choices. Through Jesus' Atonement and our obedience, we can return to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus. 

Corresponding object activity is to compare our spirits and bodies to a glove. The empty glove represents our spirits and a hand inside the glove represents our bodies. Demonstrate how they work together. 

• Go on a sound walk! (5 min)

Name all the sounds you hear on your walk. Talk about how music is made up of sounds and we hear those sounds with our ears.   

• Make an instrument for culminating lesson - Comb Kazoo (5 min)

*Materials:

-Plastic comb, tissue paper

*Instructions

Cut a square of tissue paper to fit around the comb when folded in half. Hum into the paper and listen to the vibrations it makes. Practice with kazoo!

• Snack (5 min) 

Today's tip: Always offer fruits and veggies, regardless of how picky your child is or isn't. If you don't offer them, they won't eat them. However, if you offer them, there's a chance they will!

• Free Play (20 min)

Free play doesn't necessarily have to go with your theme (if you have one). Rowan has been very interested in doctors and stethoscopes recently so I will pull down my tub of dress up clothes. If you don't have dress up clothes, grab some of yours or your spouse's (if applicable), long scraps of fabric (capes, banners, magic carpets, tents, etc.), rope, bags/boxes, old glasses/sunglasses, jewelry, mirror, and anything else you can find around the house! 

  

Day 2

• STEAM Lesson (Engineering) "Cup Stacking Challenge" (5 min)

Briefly discuss how engineering means building. Children may relate to building forts or using blocks to build structures. 

Cup Stacking Challenge

Explain that you will be working together to build a cup tower. 

*Materials:

-String, one rubber band, plastic cups (ideally six)

*Instructions

To prepare for the activity, tie four pieces of string (10-12 inches) to your rubber band (see picture below). For the activity, have each person (2-4 people) grab one of the strings. Use the strings to manipulate the rubber band (open it wide) to grab a cup, one at a time, and make a pyramid. This activity is in several places on the internet, so research further if you need more direction. During activity, talk about how teamwork makes things easier. 

Sing: The More We Get Together and relate it to teamwork. 

• Brain Break (5 min)

If you find your child is having a hard time focusing, take a song break! I like the song, "Shake Your Sillies Out". It goes like this: "It's time to shake, shake, shake all your sillies out, shake, shake, shake all your sillies out. Shake, shake, shake all your sillies out, shake your sillies out." (It goes to the tune of, "I like to eat Apples and Bananas") Google other brain breaks; there are thousands!

• Make an instrument for culminating lesson -  Shoebox Banjo (5 min)

*Materials

-Shoebox, 4 rubberbands

*Instructions

-Place rubberbands around shoebox and strum!

Optional: Sing a few songs to get used to the banjo.

My favorite are: 

1. "I've Been Working on the Railroad" (...someone's in the kitchen with Dina, strumming on the old banjo...)

2. "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain"

3. "Home on the Range"

• Snack (5 min)

Today's Tip: Popcorn is a healthy snack! Be sure your child is old enough to eat it safely.

• Free Play (20 min)

Play a matching game (or use socks if you don't have a game). Talk together about the concept of matching. Another simple way to make a matching game is to cut pictures in half and they become a two-piece puzzle :) Color and laminate for repeated use. 

Try some imaginary play to engage your child's imagination. Do common, every day tasks, but without tangible objects. "Make" food, "do" laundry, "go" to the park, etc.  

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. 

Practice Preschool - Making Music Week 1

My life's goal is to run a successful preschool in my home. Current major setbacks: COVID pandemic still ongoing, no home of our own. In the meantime, I've decided to "homeschool preschool" my nearly-three-year-old son, Rowan. While I had a few reservations, I ultimately decided I'd be doing him a disservice if I didn't go through with it. 

I'm sharing my our experience here both to look back on and as a resource who would also like to do the same. I plan to enroll Rowan in preschool this fall for the social aspect and to gain understanding from a teacher who is not also his mom, haha!

This month's theme will be: MUSIC. Rowan has loved music since the womb, I daresay; he would often do flips when I would be listening to music while pregnant. We've sung to him daily since he was born and it's so fun now to hear him sing! He's memorized countless songs, requests various topics to be put to song, and loves listening to songs over and over again. As a result, his favorite songs are constantly on an endless track in my mind. It only makes sense to start with music. 

The culmination of all these lessons will be: Old Macdonald Had a Band, at the end of the month. My plan is to do preschool twice a week for an hour at a time. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I've incorporated church lessons as well since Rowan hasn't had a ton of exposure to primary due to COVID. My plan is to do a church lesson the first day during the week (I'm doing Tuesday/Thursday) and a STEAM lesson the second day of the week. Each week will be a different aspect of STEAM. Since this month's theme is music, there will be no "Arts" lesson for STEAM. However, art will be incorporated throughout the lessons.

Feel free to take/leave any parts of the lessons! The structure I envision is 15 minute lesson time where Rowan will sit on his carpet spot (picture below, braided placemat from Walmart), 5 minute snack (counting, sensory, and other fine motor skills included where applicable), and 40 minutes of free play/one-on-one time with mom/field trip. Times are approximate.

Week 1

Day 1

• Sunbeam Lesson 1 (see picture) "I am a Child of God" (5 min)

Sing, "I am a Child of God" and talk about living with God prior to coming to Earth. Talk about our spirits and our bodies. Make boy (or girl) paper doll. 

• Quiet/Loud Game (picture below) (5 min)

Sort small, household objects into quiet or loud categories. Put small objects in a metal tin and predict if htey will be quiet or loud. Shake and see! Place them in egg cartons with labels "quiet" and "loud" (print awareness). 

• Make an instrument for culminating lesson - Easter Egg Shaker (5 min)

*Materials:

-Plastic egg(s), rice or dried beans, funnel, tape

Fill eggs with rice/beans using funnel. Secure with tape. 

Optional: Sing a few songs to get used to using the shaker! Great ideas found at: https://jbrary.com/give-storytime-shake/ 

My favorite were: 

1. "If you're happy and you know it, give a shake!" Rowan is already familiar with this song, so that's a plus. 

2. Shake Your Shaker Song (Shake your shaker, shake shake shake - to the tune of London Bridges. Verse 2: Shake your shaker, high high high Verse 3: Shake your shaker, low low low.) 

3. 1, 2, Shake it on your shoe. 3, 4, Shake it on the floor. 5, 6, stir and mix. 7, 8, stand it up straight. 9, 10, wave to your friends. 

• Snack (5 min) 

Today's tip: Incorporate choice. Toddlers feel empowered when they get to choose. Offer three items for a snack and let your child choose. 

• 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. 

Images:

1. Preschool area (doesn't need to be fancy! Mine certainly isn't!)

2. Rowan's rug spot (braided placemat from Walmart) Could also use any type of rug, small chair, etc. Hand for size reference.  

3. Quiet/Loud Game

4. Sunbeam Lesson Manual

5. Activity organization in order of lesson plan. Lesson plan booklet.

Day 2

• STEAM Lesson (Science) "Fishing With a Magnet" (5 min)

Read a book about magnets. I'm using, "What Makes a Magnet" by Franklyn M. Branley. Next, go fishing with a magnet to figure out which items are magnetic and which items are not.

*Materials:

-Pencil, string, magnet

-Combination of metal/non-metal objects: coins, twig, tacks/pins, paper clip, pieces of aluminum foil, rubber band, pieces of paper, safety pin, screw, etc. Place these in a box.

Tie string to one end of the pencil, tie other end to a magnet. This is your fishing pole.

Go fishing in the box. Put the things you "catch" in a pile. The others will stay in the box.

Sing: Once I Caught a Fish Alive while you're fishing :)

• Play Name that Tune! (5 min)

Whistle, hum, drum, or sing the beginning of a song for your child to guess. Try to choose songs your toddler is familiar with. When they guess the song, sing it together. Bonus points: Choose songs that also get their wiggles out (Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, Hokey Pokey, etc.)

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

Find a round container or two from your pantry that has a lid (oatmeal canister, infant formula can, Nesquik, Pringles, Hot Chocolate, etc). Cover container with blank colored paper and have your child decorate it. This is their drum. If you're crafted out, use pots and pans as drums instead :)

Optional: Sing a few songs to get used to the drum! Spoons or ladles work great as drumsticks!  

My favorite are: 

1. Can You Play the Drums? (practice body parts) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppuQF_2LqAw

2. Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins 

• Snack (5 min)

Today's Tip: With small food objects such as goldfish crackers, have toddler practice counting. One-to-one correspondence is a crucial foundational math skill! The earlier they grasp the concept, the better!

• Free Play (20 min)

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.

Cleaning out Cobwebs

Adjusting to Adulting

Whoa. Just like that it's been two years! I thought I knew what it was like to be an adult...turns out it's way busier than I thought. I've been through my first year of teaching -- nearly my second as well--my husband is just about 2/3 done with law school, and we almost have a one-year-old baby boy! Life just picked up speed and took off before I was able to fully catch my breath. I feel like I'm just now getting used to the new normal of having a baby and something else is bound to come along and hit me in the face. But I may as well make the best of it since I have to live through it either way!

Pumpkin Procrastination

To those of you on the edge of your seat waiting for a pumpkin recipe, I'm sorry I let you down. I completely forgot about posting on here until I saw the tab for it on my home page. No excuses, but for the record, we did just get wifi for our apartment. Here is a super yummy pumpkin recipe from one of our Pumpkin Potlucks :) I keep an album with pictures of recipes on my phone for easy access.

Pumpkin Alfredo
1 pkg. frozen cheese ravioli
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 Tbsp. chicken broth
1 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
Alfredo Sauce (see recipe below)

Alfredo Sauce
1 c. milk
2 oz. cream cheese
1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
Garlic to taste
In a blender, combine milk, cream cheese, flour, salt, and blend until smooth. In a saucepan, melt butter, add blender mixture. Stir occasionally and cook until simmering. Simmer about six minutes. Set aside and cover for ten minutes, sauce will continue to thicken.

Cook the ravioli according to package directions. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add chicken broth and herbs. Add pumpkin and whisk to combine. Combine with Alfredo Sauce. Pour over pasta and serve.

I'll try to be better at updating my blog! No promises though ;)

Planning Parties

Those who know me well know I love to host parties :) While the actual party is always fun, I especially love the planning that goes into it and the anticipation leading up to the event. I think parties should occur more often! There are so many reasons to celebrate :) Even if you don't feel like you're a people person, parties can help you come out of your shell and warm up to the idea of being around others. You may not feel like you're a party planner either, but someone has to host them :) Parties have a reputation of being expensive. Here are a few affordable party ideas that I love:

Recipe Exchange Parties:
For a series of months, I hosted a party each featuring a different dish: Soups, Salads, Desserts, Breads, etc. I had each guest RSVP by emailing me their recipe. I then printed out a copy of the compiled recipes for each guest. At the party, each guest brought their dish for sampling. We enjoyed good food, good company, and good conversation. It was a fun way to try new recipes!

A Favorite Things Party:
This was one of my favorites ;) Haha! For the party I had each guest fill out a questionnaire of their favorite things (document can be found here). When everyone had filled it out, we treated it like Scattergories (unbeknownst to them) and I gave the person deemed "most unique" a prize. I also had each guest bring three of one of their favorite items, individually wrapped. I put everyone's name in a bowl three times and each of us drew three pieces of paper. We went around the circle, one name at a time, exchanging gifts. I had each share why they chose what they did. Finally, at the end of the party, we had ice cream! Each guest had also brought their favorite ice cream topping :) It turned out great! 

Dinner Group:
My husband and I created a dinner group for ourselves and three other couples. We had dinner together once a week and alternated hosting the group. We would usually play a board game together afterwards. It was a great way to strengthen friendships and it was nice to have a break from cooking!

Pumpkin Potluck
This year will be our 3rd annual Pumpkin Potluck. I love everything pumpkin :) I attended a pumpkin potluck when I was on a mission in Portland, Oregon. I loved it so much that I adopted the idea :) We provide the main dish and the guests bring a myriad of pumpkin dishes. We've had everything from pumpkin salad dressing to decadent pumpkin desserts. I'll be revisiting this party idea this coming fall so stay tuned for various pumpkin recipes!

Go party! 

Traveling to the Temple

Ever since Jared and I were engaged, we've had a goal to visit every LDS temple in the United States. At each temple we attend, we pick up a temple schedule and complete ordinance work. It's been neat to see the unique characteristics of each temple and feel the spirit as a result of the act of service. I'm compiling a scrapbook as we go, with pictures and unique paper for each page. My sister-in-law, Becky, created the art work for the front page (see below) and I laminated it afterwards, along with a black back. There are 81 temples (and counting) in the United States. Jared and I have visited 19 of them. We still have a long ways to go but we also have the rest of our lives :) 

Above is a sample page. The scrapbook dimensions are 7" by 8". There are two hole punches in the middle with large binder rings holding it together (very easy to open and close). It's a fun and easy way to document our temple trips!
Here is a list of all the temples in the United States (pdf document)
Temple List