Focus on the "I"s--Learning "If I Listen With My Heart" With Your Senior Primary

The first verse of "If I Listen With My Heart" has six "I" statements.  This song is practically begging us to liken it to ourselves! I adapted an idea from Sharla, over at TeachingPrimaryMusic.com, to tap into the word-based learning style for this older-child activity.

Unscramble the "I" word strips

Preparation

Take note of the six "I" statements found in verse 1:  I had, I would, I search, I can, I listen, I hear.  Write each phrase on a word strip, large enough to be read by everyone in your Primary room.  Mount each word strip on colored paper, one color for "I had" and "I would," and a second color for the remaining strips, as shown in the picture at right.  

Before Primary begins, tape up the word strips around the room, in visible locations.

Presentation

Tell the children that you will sing them a song that is about all of us.  "If you see a word strip from this song, raise your hand, and I'll motion for you to bring it up front and help put it in order."  Immediately begin singing, and continue singing until the word strips are all in song order on the board, repeating the song if necessary.  If the children need help placing the word strips in order, you can heavily emphasize the appropriate phrases as you sing.

Ask the children to help you check, to make sure they're all in order.  Sing again, pointing to each word strip as it comes up in the song.  Have a child come up to make corrections, if needed.  

Let the children know that you have another challenge for them with this song.  "I chose different colors for these specific word strips for a reason.  Listen carefully as I sing the song again, and see if you can figure out why they're grouped separately."  My kids got it without any clues, on the first sing-through.  The first two statements talk about what WOULD have been, and the rest talk about how things ARE.  

Now is a perfect time to briefly share how you know the scriptures help us learn the words of the Savior.  The children have been engaged mentally, so they're actively listening to what you say.

Happy singing!

"If I Listen With My Heart"--an Intro Activity for Junior Primary

The song, "If I Listen With My Heart," shares a powerfully important lesson for our children to learn:  in the scriptures, we hear the voice of the Savior.  With shifting morals all around us in society, it's vital that our children learn where to go to hear God's word. This song can help us accomplish that, but the complicated melody can be especially hard for the younger children to learn.  With new Sunbeams in my Junior primary, I decided to do an intro activity for this song aimed at the youngest children, reminiscent of how I do music in nursery (see my example nursery agenda here). Dive Right In Scripture accounts of the Savior I hold up a stack of pictures portraying the Savior in various scripture accounts.  "I brought some pictures to share today.  Raise your hand if you can share a picture with the friends sitting next to you."  I start singing "If I Listen With My Heart" and then start passing out the pictures as I sing, one picture for every two or three children. Connect the Pictures to the Song "Now, don't say it out loud, but raise your hand if you know--who do you see in your picture?"  Once I receive the answer of Jesus, I continue, "That's right! We can't hear Him talking to us like the children who lived by Him, can we? But we can hear His words when we read the scriptures! I'm going to hum my song again, and I want you to whisper with your teacher to find out which scripture story you have in your picture."  I immediately start humming the song along with the piano (having previously asked my pianist to play only the melody line, so the children can hear it better).  When I get to the last line, I sing instead of hum, "If I listen with my heart, I hear the Savior's voice." Focus on a Phrase and Repeat I hold up a picture of Christ that I kept back, and pointing to Him, say, "Did you know that 'Savior' is another name for Jesus? Can you all say, 'Savior,' with me?"  I encourage them to repeat the word with me.  Then I ask one little group, "What scripture story do you have?"  After they answer, I take back their picture and hold it up for everyone to see.  I immediately launch into singing the final line of the song, "If I listen with my heart, I hear the Savior's voice."  This time, I add simple actions as I sing.  I cup my ear with my hand on "listen," I put my hand on my heart on "heart," and I point to Christ in the picture on "Savior." Now I repeat the exchange for each tiny group.  After two or three repetitions of asking and singing, I encourage the children to do the actions along with me. I'm hoping this activity has helped my little ones 1) understand the main gospel principle in the song and 2) hear the last line enough times so that they'll recognize it as a comforting, familiar song next week.

Happy singing!