Singing Time Plan: September #2

I'm trying two completely new activities in my Singing Time this week, and I can't wait to see how the children like them. :)  My husband came up with the idea of Flashlight Spotlight, super simple yet powerful in helping children think through the lyrics. I learned about the other activity, White Board Colors, from the Primary Chorister Facebook group.  A big thanks to Elise for her awesome idea! It taps into four different learning styles. That's got to be a record....

Junior Primary
Flashlight spotlight singing	"The Holy Ghost"  (p. 105)  Paper cup patterns.  Using a paper cup as an instrument, alternate clapping with tapping knees or shoulders in a simple pattern.
	"Tell Me the Stories of Jesus"  (p. 57)    Singing thermometer.  A previous music leader in my ward made a singing thermometer poster, to measure how strongly the children are singing. When they sing out more, you can pull the red bar higher.  This is a good tool for assessing how much the children know, after you've already taught them the song.
	"The Church of Jesus Christ"  (p. 77)  Hops and sways.  This idea is straight from Sharla Dance's blog, TeachingPrimaryMusic.com.  It's a simple series of hops then swaying arms, to help the children move while they're learning.
	"He Sent His Son"  (p. 34)  Flashlight spotlight.  Turn off the lights and turn on a flashlight. Only the group of children where you're shining the light should sing. Try moving the light slowly around the room, quickly switching between halves, or trading off between you and all the children.

Senior Primary White Board Colors activity from Elise

"I Feel My Savior's Love"  (p. 74)    White board colors.  See Elise's picture above. (She shared this on the Facebook group, but she also has a blog for some of her amazing artwork at HolyHandouts.com.)  While you're singing, have a child draw a marker from a bag and do the task that matches the color drawn. Red=erase a word, blue=underline words to hum, green=erase a word and draw a picture in its place, orange=underline a phrase to sing with eyes closed, brown=underline a word or phrase and create a sign/action for it, purple=pause the singing to share a way the child feels the Savior's love.

"The Holy Ghost"  (p. 105)  Paper cup patterns.  Choose a more complicated rhythm than for Junior Primary.

"He Sent His Son"  (p. 34)  Flashlight spotlight.  Same as for Junior Primary.  In addition, since our Primary program will have soloists from Senior Primary singing the questions in this song, after one sing-through I'll alter the activity to spotlight the soloists for their assigned lines.

Happy singing!

What's Your Dream?

So, you get an email notification that I've published a new blog post.  As you click to read it, you're hoping...to see what?  In your dreams, what is the subject of the next post?  

Up to this point on this blog, I've been talking about what I want to talk about.  Now, I'd love to focus on some of the things you'd like to see more.  So, what'll it be?  Here are some ideas that I had, but feel free to tell me about others, too.

• More activity ideas for nursery.
• Tutorials for making props for nursery.
• Review ideas for the program.
• How to choose verses to sing in the program for solos, small groups, etc.
• More detailed descriptions of the activities I mention briefly in the Singing Time plans.
• More activities in general (let me know if you'd like more for a specific learning style, like movement, logic, etc.).
• How to better coordinate with the pianist and the Primary presidency.
• Lessons learned from someone who's been in the calling for a while.
• Comprehensive list of activities mentioned on the blog.

Please let me know what you've always dreamed of finding on a children's music blog, and I'll get working on it. :)


Happy singing!