Book: Martin & Mahalia: his words, her song Author: Andrea Davis Pinkney Illustrator: Brian Pinkney Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2013 Martin & Mahalia: his words, her song is a nonfiction picture book with beautiful artwork, poetic language, and smooth, easy-to-read-aloud text. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahalia Jackson shared…
Ribbon Snake Information
Here are some pictures of my “ribbon snakes.” The best way to store them is to wrap a rubber band around the end of the sticks and tuck the ribbons and all into a zipper baggie. For more information on making your own, see the previous post, Engaging Activities in…
Engaging Activities in Small Spaces, Part II
This post will focus on igniting the imaginations of K-2 students, with and without props. Black Snake (Kindergarten and 1st) Concept: Melodic Contour, Colors, Locomotor Movement After the students learn the song, demonstrate moving your “ribbon snake” to the melodic contour of the song. If you’re able to, have students…
Engaging Activities in Small Spaces
This post is in response to a reader who requested ideas for a traveling teacher. Traveling music teachers are constantly adjusting lessons around furniture or available space. The good news is: your lessons can still be powerful and engaging! Today’s post will focus on activities for Kindergarten and first grade…
New examples including Let Us Chase the Squirrel
Although I haven’t been writing new blog posts, there are some new visual aid examples posted including Let Us Chase the Squirrel showing only rhythms, or rhythms, solfége, and lyrics together. I also posted the rhythms of a favorite chant, Bate, Bate and a listening example with a clear high do’…
Solfége Problems? New Strategies to the Rescue!
At workshops, teachers often ask me, “Can your students really read that solfége?” Or sometimes it isn’t an outright question, but it’s a statement such as, “I don’t like teaching solfége because it’s hard.” Although I understand where you’re coming from, just because something is hard doesn’t mean it should…
Who’s That Tapping at the Window
It’s been several months since I wrote a blog post, so I’ll write about a favorite song that I just posted under Resources for Teachers, Solfége and Rhythm examples. Who’s That Tapping at the Window is a folk song with amazing potential. The source listed in my song collection is…
Teaching meter
It’s so exciting to teach meter to first graders. They’re curious about everything, and when I tell them that the “big kids” know something, they want to learn it even more. One of the most helpful songs for teaching meter is “Bounce High, Bounce Low.” The students form loose circles…
Vocal Exploration in Kindergarten
What do you do when a student can’t seem to find their singing voice? That’s the question I’ll touch on here. Besides roller coasters and imitation, singing songs with solos like Doggie, Doggie, Johnny’s It, Let’s Hide the Pumpkin, etc., can help students hear that they’re not matching. Some students…
Songs for Fall
If you’re in a situation where you’re not able to use much holiday-oriented repertoire, this post is for you! In the past, Halloween songs have been frowned upon at my school, so I don’t introduce songs about witches, ghosts, or goblins. However, I always fall back on some fall favorites…