Choir Songs for Christmas

Choir Songs for Christmas

This past week, my choir performed their holiday concert, and it got me thinking about my favorite songs for this time of year, as well as songs I'd like to perform next year. Today, I'm teaming up with my friend Amy Abbott at Music a la Abbott to blog about our favorite Christmas choir songs as well as ones we'd like to do for next year!

A couple notes:

My choir consists of third, fourth, and fifth graders. Many of these pieces could also work for middle school.

Many of the titles are linked to the octavos on JW Pepper or other sites; simply click to view!

#1: Christmas is coming

This is one of my favorites for this time of year. It's an English folk song that works well as a round. I've heard a few different versions of it, but this is the one I use:

You could also have one part of the choir sing "God bless you" on mi-re-do as an ostinato.

#2: "Minka" arr. by Jill Ann Jones

This is one of my all-time favorites for Christmas! It's a 2-part song that is pretty accessible, as you teach the first part, then you teach the second part, and then you have one half of the choir sing one part as the other half of the choir sings the second part! The piano part is also really fun to play. It's a wonderful addition to any holiday concert.

#3: "Christmas Time is Here" by Mendelson and Guaraldi, arr. by Pugh

I just LOVE this song from "A Charlie Brown Christmas"! I used this arrangement on last year's concert, but simplified it so it was in unison. Here is a video of my students singing it:

This was definitely a crowd pleaser. I mean, who doesn't love Charlie Brown?

#4: "Al Shlosha D'Varim" by Naplan

Although this is not specifically a Christmas or Hanukkah song, I think the text is perfect for this time of year. It translates to: "The world is sustained by three things: by truth, by justice, and by peace." The melody is gorgeous, and just like Minka, students can learn two different parts, then sing the parts together.

#5: "Christmas Canon" by O'Neill, Kinkel, and Pachelbel

You've likely heard this song by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Here is a video:

The piano part is Pachelbel's Canon, and then three parts are layered on top of each other. Again, it is accessible, and so many people are familiar with it, it's another crowd pleaser!

I realized after my choir concert, as I was listening to Christmas music on the way home, that I should plan NOW for what I want my next year's choir to perform, since I have holiday music on the brain!

Here are a few I'd like to program for next year:

"Pat a Pan" by Gilpin

I just realized that I ordered a full set of this octavo this summer...but then didn't use it on this year's concert! I absolutely LOVE this song, and am so excited to use it next year. Such a beautiful arrangement, and I love how suited it is for children's voices.

"Winter Fantasy" by Gallina

This is a fun octavo that has a partner song with "Jingle Bells." I'm excited to do this next year, as I'll have my choir perform it on their concert, but then I will also have it performed on my singalong. The audience will sing Jingle Bells, and then my choir will sing the partner song, and then we'll sing them together! (For more information about putting together a singalong, see this blog post.)

"Man with the Bag" by Emerson

I love this song! I'm hoping to be able to explore the genre of vocal jazz through teaching it, and I know students will love it as much as I do!

"Sleigh Ride" by Cristi Cary Miller

I just found out about this octavo through Amy Abbott's Facebook page. I listened and love the song, so plan on programming it for next year! She'll be including the video of her choir singing the song in her post, so make sure to check it out!

Even though it's December 19 as I write this, and you've likely already had all of your concerts, I hope you're able to bookmark this list as well as Amy's list so you can plan for next year. Feel free to comment below with your favorites for this time of year, as well as any other arrangements of the songs above that you love.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!

Holiday gift guide for music teachers

Holiday gift guide for music teachers

Are you looking for gift ideas for a loved one who is a music teacher? Or are you a music teacher trying to find gift ideas to give your family? I'm teaming up with my friend Amy Abbott, to blog about great gift ideas for any music teacher!

Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links.

Echo Dot

I was super excited when my husband bought me the Echo for my birthday in late November. I hadn't asked for it and didn't even know what it was, but now, I'm hooked!
The idea of the Echo is that you can play music wirelessly just by asking. It will play genres of music ("Alexa, play classical music," or "Alexa, play holiday classics") and it will play specific songs. For some songs, you do need a monthly membership to Amazon music, which is $3.99, but there are lots of songs that it will play without that membership. You can also ask Alexa to add things to your to do list, ask her for the weather, ask for the items on your calendar for that day, and more!
It hadn't even occurred to me to use one in my classroom until I saw this post in the Feierabend Fundamentals Facebook group. And then I realized...you could simply say, "Alexa, play 'Chimes of Dunkirk'" and it will play! How awesome is that? You can also connect it to your computer or iPad though Bluetooth. I just ordered one for my classroom; as I write this, it's on sale for $39.99, so I couldn't resist!

PBuzz

This was also a really fun birthday gift from my husband, but could totally work as a gift for your favorite music teacher (or for yourself!) The PBuzz is like a plastic trombone. The slide positions/ letters are marked, and you can slide to whichever you want. It has a small range--only a fifth--but is really fun (and my four year old can make a good sound on it!)

Here is a fun video for "Uptown Funk" played on pBuzz, pBones, and Bass Trombone.

 Click the link below to see the pBuzz on Amazon.

Singing Games and Rhymes for ages 9 to 99

Amy from Music a la Abbott sent me this awesome book as a birthday gift. There are SO many songs in here I had never seen, so it was such a fun gift! I just delved into it deeper today and found many great songs AND games! And even better? It comes with a DVD showing the singing games! (Click on the picture to see how to purchase it.)

Tuning fork on lanyard

I lose things ALL THE TIME, so I love having my tuning fork on a lanyard! The idea of using a tuning fork as a music teacher is that you can quickly check your pitch without having to run over to the piano...and when it's on a lanyard, around your neck, it's even easier! You can buy the one below on West Music; click the picture to see the listing.

Presentation remote

I first bought a presentation remote when I started presenting workshops, but once I realized it can work for Powerpoints, PDF's, SMART Notebook files, AND Prezi, I realized how useful it could be in the music classroom! Whether you are running a singalong or doing an assessment in SMART Notebook, this remote is super helpful, so that you can click without standing at your computer keyboard!

Kindergarten Centers {Bundled Set}

Here's one from my store that music teachers will find helpful! I put this together for teachers hoping to try centers with their Kindergarteners. It includes sets for fast/slow, loud/quiet, beat, high/low, and rhythm, including six centers for each concept!

Christmas morning bundle

This fun set by Amy Abbott is full of games and activities, and will be ready to download on Christmas morning! What's even better? The games can be used any time of the year! Amy's interactive games are always so fun, so I'm looking forward to downloading these games!

Make sure to hop on over to Amy's blog to read her holiday gift guide. Which gifts are on your wish list? Feel free to comment below. Happy shopping, and Happy Holidays!

Five easy (and free!) sub plans for the music classroom

Five easy (and free!) sub plans for the music classroom

We've all heard the adage, "It's easier to come to school sick than to write sub plans." Many of you, like me, have spent hours upon hours working just on one day of sub plans, so it IS often easier to come to school sick than worry about it.

A few years ago, though, I finally got my sub tub in order (read more about my sub tub here), and figuring out sub plans began taking 10 minutes instead of 2 hours! Since then, I've become passionate about figuring out ideas that would have students making music, have subs feel comfortable teaching, and allow me to not spend tons of time preparing!

Here are some ideas for quick and easy sub plans to leave for your sub. Make sure to scroll to the end of the post, to sign up for my email list and receive editable Word documents to edit and adapt the sub plans for your own music lessons (as well as a bonus file)!

#1: The rhythm trainer

This website is a wonderful way to practice dictation and audiation skills! On the first page, you'll see this:

You could have your sub choose A if students will dictate rhythm patterns (onto the SMART board, or on a computer projected onto a LCD projector) or B if students will choose from multiple choice patterns. Then, students or the sub can choose a tempo. Lastly, you can leave notes for your sub with which rhythms to choose from, which can be adapted depending on the grade level! So if your first graders only know ta and ti-ti, or quarter and eighth notes, then you can have the sub only choose the first two rhythms, like shown above.



Then, students can either listen to the one pattern (if choosing option A) or listen to four patterns (if choosing option B), and students come up to the computer or SMART board to dictate or choose the correct pattern. Several students can come up and choose...and even better, your sub doesn't have to be musical in order to have students play this game!

#2: Rhythm reading video

I created this video as a quick and easy way to practice quarter rest, and it's perfect for a sub plan! Students get non-pitched instruments (such as wood blocks, hand drums, rhythm sticks, etc.) The first time through the pattern, they simply say the pattern, using whichever rhythm syllables they know (i.e. ta and ti-ti, ta and ta-di, etc.) The second time through the pattern, they play the pattern on their instruments. You could even have them watch the video more than once, and switch instruments each time (or have them play the patterns all on the same note on recorder, or have them improvise a melody in C pentatonic on Orff instruments!)
Here is the video:

If you want more helpful videos for music teachers, make sure to check out my channel here.

#3: Roll and listen

This is one of my favorite freebies on TeachersPayTeachers, by Cori Bloom from Rhythm and Bloom. The idea is simple but brilliant: students roll a die, listen to a snippet of a piece of music, then  discuss either with the whole class or in small groups the answer to the prompt. This is a great way to discuss tempo, dynamics, instruments, and more, and can be used with ANY piece of music, which is great!
I use foam dice from Amazon, but you could also use big dice from a store like Five Below (like in this post), or a die on the SMART board, if you have SMART notebook.
Click the picture below to download the file on TpT:

#4: Students' choice

Having students choose what they'd like to do is a great time filler, especially if you're not sure the sub plan you're leaving will be long enough. For example, if you were doing "Rhythm trainer" listed above, and expect that it will only take 20 minutes, and you have 30 minute classes, you could leave a note to the sub that students can tell him/her their favorite singing games, he/she can make a list on the board, and then the class can vote on their favorite to play. There are several singing games my students know really well because we play them so often, so they can play it without really any help from the sub (who may or may not be musical!)

#5: Keep a beat

In Kindergarten, first, and second grade, once students know steady beat, you could leave a book for a sub that inherently has a steady beat, and have students keep a steady beat on their laps as the sub reads. If you're nervous that a sub may not be able to read to a steady beat, you could record a short snippet of you reading as you keep a steady beat on a drum, so the sub can hear what you mean. Here are some of my favorite picture books for steady beat (click each to be taken to that listing on Amazon; these are affiliate links, but you may be able to find them in your school library!):

                

Looking to save time by having these lessons in sub plan form? Sign up for my email list below and you'll get these plans for free! I've written the plans to include materials, standards, and process. (If you are already signed up for my email list, no worries, you can sign up again and I won't send you duplicate emails!)


Wondering how to put together a sub tub that saves time? I plan on doing a Facebook Live about my sub tub next Wednesday, December 14, at 9:15 p.m.! Make sure to follow my Facebook page to get the notification!

Looking for more sub plans? Here are two sets I've created:

            

Also make sure to check out ideas on this Pinterest board:

What are your favorite sub plans for the music classroom? Feel free to comment below, and happy teaching and planning!

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Tips for assessing with Plickers

Tips for assessing with Plickers

A few years ago, I discovered an amazing free app called Plickers, which allows you to quickly and easily assess your students with ONLY ONE device! Today, I thought I'd discuss tips for using the app. I just got done with an assessment for third grade recently, and realized there were some steps that make using the app much easier!

Before using Plickers, you'll need to do the following:

• Decide what assessment you want to use  (anything with multiple choices works; see some suggestions at the end of this post)
• Get your students' class numbers from their classroom teachers (I would start with one grade level, and email that entire grade level for their class numbers)
• Enter the students' names by number into the site (www.plickers.com)
• Print out the cards on the Plickers site (you can laminate them for durability. I've heard some complain about the shiny quality for the cards making them harder to scan but I haven't noticed any problems)
• Create your assessment (whether that be a slideshow, questions you'll write on the board or read to students, etc.) 
• Create questions (this will allow you to name the question, then choose the correct answer for each)
• Assign questions to each class

Here is a video of me entering in names, creating questions, and assigning questions, so you can see how it works:

Once you do all that, you are ready to go!

If you're wondering what the app looks like when you are using it with your students, here is another video showing the app in action:

Here are some tips I've learned along the way:

Include details in the name of the question

Instead of just calling each question by number (question 1, question 2, etc.), you could give specific titles, such as "audio, harp," for a question that asks students to listen to a harp and name its instrument family, or "rhythm pattern 1" for a question asking students to identify a rhythm pattern. I found this to be very helpful when giving the assessment, because I remember which each question is about and make sure to choose the correct one!

Have a test question

As I spoke about in both videos, at the start of the assessment, I always include a test question that asks students to show you A. This way, you can make sure all students understand how to hold the card. If they are showing you a different letter, the app will tell you which student is holding it incorrectly, and you can correct them on the spot. The same thing goes for if you have a student who answers D to one of the actual questions, and you only have A and B as choices. Go ahead and correct them then and there so they can show you whether they think it is A or B.

Hold the phone vertically

Seems simple, but if you hold it horizontally, it reads the cards the wrong way! (And side note, although you can download the app onto your iPad, it freezes up quite a bit, so I would suggest only downloading the app onto your iPhone or Android!)

Start easy

With my third graders, I used questions that asked "strings" (A) "or not" (B). So students only had two choices to choose from, which was a nice way to start using the cards!

Make sure your phone is charged!

I have little to no service at my building, which  drains my phone's battery. On the day of the assessment, when I went to use it at the end of the day with my third graders, I had no battery and my phone died! Ack! So with subsequent classes, I made sure to make a note to charge my phone at lunch time so I had enough battery by the end of the day.

Make note of how many people are in the class

If you have a couple students who are absent, and you normally have 25 students, you'll be looking for 23 students to be answering each time. The app will tell you how many people have answered, so it's good to know how many you have in the class.

Make sure to hit the checkmark after you've gotten everyone's responses

I messed up with one of my questions, and received input from everyone and didn't hit the checkmark. Then, when I said, "okay, I got everyone's card," students dropped their cards and then the app changed some of the students' answers. So as soon as you have everyone's answer, hit that check mark!

Make sure students aren't covering their card

It's really easy for students to cover the black part of their card...and then then answer won't scan! Make sure their fingers and thumbs aren't covering the black part  at all so the system can register their answer.

Use an assessment that has already been created

You don't necessarily have to go and create anything new! Here are some freebies you might consider trying.

For doing a formative assessment during preparation of half note:

For assessing identification of ta and ti-ti patterns (have the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd pattern be assigned as A, B, or C):

For assessing staff reading of sol and mi:

I hope this has been helpful, and I hope that you try it with your students! Please comment below if you have any other tips to add!

Props in the music classroom

Props in the music classroom

As a music teacher, we have the opportunity to buy some really fun things for our classroom! Perhaps you've seen tennis balls or ribbons in another music teacher's room, and you've wondered how they incorporate those props into their music classroom. Here are my five favorite props for the music classroom:

#1: Stretchy band

I first saw a stretchy band as a way to incorporate movement into an early childhood music class. There are truly SO many possibilities for using the stretchy band (which you can purchase here.) My favorite way of using it so far is to help students learn how to stay in a circle during a circle dance. My second graders will be performing "Seven Jumps" for their performance this week, and the stretchy band is a GREAT tool for this (as otherwise, with that dance, kids might lose their balance!) Here is a video of "Seven Jumps" without the stretchy band; you can purchase the music on iTunes (my favorite recording is by the Shenanigans).

There are also some great ideas for using stretchy bands in this blog post. Check out this blog post for directions on making your own small stretchy band.

#2: Tennis balls

I was very fortunate to work with the Dalcroze professor, Tim Caldwell, during my undergrad at Central Michigan University, and he introduced me to using tennis balls in the music classroom. My favorite way to use them is to practice meter. Students can each have a ball, and as you play music on the piano, they can bounce and catch. If you are playing in 2/4, they would bounce, catch, bounce catch. If you are playing in 3/4, they would bounce, catch, tap a shoulder. And if you are playing in 4/4, they would bounce, catch, tap one shoulder, tap the other shoulder. 

They can also bounce and catch with a partner, which is a bit more challenging, but super fun! Check out this book for more games like this.

#3: Playground ball

I bought this fun playground ball at Five Below; read this blog post about other fun finds at that store.  I first starting using a playground ball with Tim Caldwell as well, to have students pass the ball in a circle either without music or with music, at different tempi. This is a more challenging task then just keeping the beat on their laps, and can teach them to internalize the beat! I have two favorite singing games for ball passing; they are "Ye Toop Doram," which you can find here, and "Sandy's Mill," which you can find here.

#4: Toy microphones

Truly, there is something about a toy microphone that kids just LOVE! These can be found at Target or the Dollar store, and can be used when students are singing by themselves. Even though the microphone doesn't actually amplify students' voices, they still love holding the microphone! The red prop in the picture that looks like a phone is called an auditory feedback phone, and can be used with your students who are struggling to match pitch, as they can hear themselves sing when they put it to their ears! You can purchase one here.

#5: Ribbons

A few years ago, I saw my friend Jayne Wenner present a session about folk dancing with props, and she presented a Chinese ribbon dance using ribbons like the ones found above. (You can purchase the smaller ones here and the larger ones here.) Jayne had us learn several different ribbon dancing moves and put that to music. I just had my fifth graders choreograph their own dance by first learning all of the moves, then learning a dance I choreographed to the piece "Chinese New Year," then mixing up the moves in whatever order they decided to the same piece. They LOVED this and so did I! For a list of typical ribbon dancing moves and more ideas for choreographing, check out this article, and click here for the music I used.

My friend Tracy King also has some GREAT cards you can use with ribbons or scarves; you can purchase the set here. Put this with whatever music you want and you have a great listening/ movement lesson!

What are your favorite props to use in the music classroom? Feel free to comment below, and happy teaching!

Flexible Seating in your Music Classroom {Part Two}

Flexible Seating in your Music Classroom {Part Two}

A couple months ago, I wrote about all of the flexible seating I purchased for my music classroom. Today, I'm blogging about how I've introduced the flexible seating in my classroom.

I have lots of fun seats in my room now, so of course, the students want to try them out! I decided when I first started that I would only use them for small groups and centers--otherwise, it would be a bit of a mess for whole group instruction, with students sitting at different levels. Here are a few ways I've let students try out the seats:

Star Students:

I choose two star students at the end of every music class, and they roll a die on my SMART board to find out what their reward is (i.e. prize box, Wild Ways certificate--which is a school-wide incentive, sticker, etc.) One of the rewards for 2nd-5th grade is "Special Seat." In the past, I only had one comfy saucer chair, but now I have lots to choose from. The students are always super excited to roll this! The student who receives this is allowed to try out more than one seat during the class, as long as he/she is not distracting when switching between seats. (I've had to have a few conversations with students about appropriate bouncing on the exercise balls vs. distracting bouncing!)

Scoot:

I tried out the game "Scoot" with my 4th and 5th graders this year. The premise of this game is that they have a card at their seat with a certain number, and they answer that number question on their worksheet, and then scoot to the next question when it's time. I decided to do this with seats....so that each child was sitting on an exercise ball, a disc seat, etc., and then when they scoot to the next seat, they get to try out another seat! They really enjoyed this, and it made the assessment a bit more interesting and fun! Here is a picture of my 5th graders doing "Scoot":

I've included a "Scoot" for tika-ti in my "Planning in a Snap {September}" set, and just posted a set for tika-tika and half note:

Centers:

Centers are a great way to try out seats! I've done this in two ways. First, I tried having different seats at each center, and then students rotate to the next center and try out a different seat. With another grade level, I only had seats at one center. I had the students working on worksheets sit in wobble seats, and then when they rotated they had to leave the seats there. Let's face it, sometimes worksheets aren't quite as exciting as iPads or instruments, so this was a great way to make that center a bit more engaging!

Free Day:

In my music room, each class has an opportunity to receive 4 points every music class: 1 point for walking in quietly, 1 point for good effort, 1 point for listening well, and 1 point for lining up quietly. After they've filled up all their boxes on their chart (which typically takes about 8 or so lessons), I let them have half of the class (25 minutes) to vote on what they'd like to do for the rest of class. Several of the classes chose to sit on special seats while playing instruments, and I happily obliged! Of course, they had to be careful to choose a seat that was appropriate for that instrument, but it was a fun way to give them a reward!

Overall, I've really enjoyed having the seats. The students get SO excited to try them out, and as I wrote about in my last flexible seating post, it honors them as learners.

How have you introduced flexible seating? Feel free to comment below, and happy teaching!

Favorite Kindergarten Music Activities

Favorite Kindergarten Music Activities

As I wrote about in this blog post, teaching Kindergarten is so different than any other grade! They are at times so sweet, at other times so needy...and their attention span is about as short as they are! That being said, I truly enjoy teaching Kindergarten music. Today, I thought I'd blog about my favorite activities to do with Kindergarteners...the activities that I look forward to teaching, and the ones that they ask for lesson after lesson!

#1: Grizzly Bear

I first started teaching this song several years ago, to practice the musical opposites loud and quiet, and oh my goodness, I'm so glad I did! It's one of their all-time favorites, and there is something so magical about waking the bear!



The kids love the song, as it starts very quietly and gets louder and louder, until they shout, "Roar" at the end! For the game, I have students walk in a circle, counter-clockwise, until they repeat the first phrase. Then on "Please be very quiet," students stay still and put a finger to their lips. For "If you wake him, if you shake him..." students step louder and louder to the beat until they roar at the end! (I have them put their hands up like they are claws when they roar!) One child pretends to be a sleeping bear in the middle as all of the movement is going on, and then on "Roar," that kid stands up and tries to tag one student. I have one spot that is the safe zone (my white board).

#2: Engine Engine

This is such a great chant, because it can be used to teach loud/quiet ("Let's say it like a baby is sleeping on the train!" "Now like there's a party on the train!"), to teach fast/slow ("Let's say it like a train going uphill!" "Now like a train going downhill!"), to teach steady beat, and for vocal exploration (when students make a train whistle sound.) I often lead students into the room chugging like a train, then have them say "Engine Engine"...so much, in fact, that they often start chugging like a train as soon as they see me! Here is the chant notation:

#3: Freeze dance

What kid DOESN'T like freeze dance? I'd been doing freeze dance for many years, and then I read this blog post by my friend Karla Cherwinski on our collaborative blog Kodaly Corner, and she referenced these free freeze dance signs by Artie Almeida. I LOVE them! They can be used with any freeze dance, and are so good for gross motor movement and critical thinking (when they see the signs with 2 or 3 kids on them, you can see the wheels turning very quickly in their heads as they figure out what to do!) I like to do freeze dance with the "Potpourri" recording from any of Eric Chapelle's CD's, like the one below, as the track includes several different pieces of music with pauses built in:

#4: Bunny Game

This might be my very favorite Kindergarten activity! I created this while taking pedagogy lessons with Dr. Timothy Caldwell at Central Michigan University. They beg to play it, and it's a great activity to prepare and practice high/low, as students have to figure out whether you are playing a high or low trill to wiggle their nose or tail. You can get the bunny game directions for free by subscribing to my email list (and if you've already subscribed, no worries, I won't be sending you duplicate emails!)

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The directions should have everything you need to know to play it, but if you would like to see it in action, here is a Facebook Live video, in which I demonstrate what I play during the bunny game!

#5: Mr. Stingy Man

I learned this songtale while I was student teaching, with Paul Rose, in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. I've used it every year since, and I have to say, there is something truly magical about just telling a story. No technology, no pictures, just me and the story and a group of kids listening and singing along! Here is the story, but here is a Facebook Live video with me telling it, so you can hear how it flows!

Once upon a time there was a farmer who lived on a big, big farm. He had lots of animals—cows, pigs, sheep (ask for student suggestions)—and he also had a rooster. The rooster’s job was to wake him up every morning. The rooster loved doing this for the farmer, but there was something else he loved—his silver dollar. He loved this silver dollar so much that he slept with it under his wing every night so that no one would steal it.

Across the street from the farmer, there was a very rich man named Mr. Stingy Man. Mr. Stingy Man lived in a huge house called a mansion with hundreds of rooms. He had so much money, but as much money as he had, he wanted even more. One day he found out about the rooster’s silver dollar, and do you know what he did? He waited until the rooster was sleeping, and then he gently lifted the rooster’s wing and took his silver dollar! Then he went to one of his secret rooms, and inside was a safe. He opened up with the safe with three numbers. (Take student suggestions for the three numbers, and tell them to lock those three numbers inside their heads for later.) Then he put the silver dollar in the safe and locked it up!

The next morning, the rooster woke up and stretched, and then he realized, he was missing his silver dollar! He just knew that Mr. Stingy Man had taken it, because Mr. Stingy Man was the stingiest man in the world. He flew up to Mr. Stingy Man’s bedroom window and started singing:

(Lyrics: Hey Mister Stingy Man, listen to me holler, Cock a doodle doodle do, give me back my dollar!)

Mr. Stingy Man was very upset the rooster woke him up, and told his brother Fred to put the rooster into the well, where there was lots of water! Fred grabbed the rooster and put him into the well. But the rooster was smart and started singing:

(Lyrics: Belly, belly, belly, suck up all the water!)

His belly got bigger and bigger and bigger. Then, he flew out of the well, back up to Mr. Stingy Man’s bedroom window, and started singing (“Hey, Mr. Stingy Man”.)

Mr. Stingy Man was again very upset the rooster woke him up, and told his brother Fred to put the rooster into the furnace, where there was lots of fire! Fred grabbed the rooster and put him into the furnace. But the rooster was smart and started singing:

(Lyrics: Belly, belly, belly, let out all the water!)

Then, he flew out of the well, back up to Mr. Stingy Man’s bedroom window, and started singing (“Hey, Mr. Stingy Man”.)

Mr. Stingy Man was again very upset the rooster woke him up, and told his brother Fred to put the rooster into the beehive, where there were lots of bees! Fred grabbed the rooster and put him into the beehive. But the rooster was smart and started singing:

(Lyrics: Belly, belly, belly, suck up all the bees!)

His belly got bigger and bigger and bigger. Then, he flew out of the beehive, back up to Mr. Stingy Man’s bedroom window, and started singing (“Hey, Mr. Stingy Man”.)

Mr. Stingy Man was so very upset the rooster woke him up, do you know what color his face was? (Take student suggestions.) It was so red it was almost purple! He told his brother Fred to put the rooster on the chair, and he was going to sit on him and squish him! Fred grabbed the rooster and put him into the chair. Do you know what the rooster started singing?

(Lyrics: Belly, belly, belly, let out all the bees!)

Mr. Stingy Man had so many bees stinging him. He had to jump on one foot, jump up and down 5 times, and spin around 3 times, before that last bee left him (change to whatever motions you want—each time can be different.) And then he sat down very gently because he was very sore, and he told his brother Fred to take the rooster to his secret room, and open up the combination. (Have students recount the numbers.) Then, open up the safe and give him his silver dollar. And then he decided, “No, don’t just give him his silver dollar…give him all that money in that safe, because I have a lot of money and I don’t need it all.” So the rooster went to the room, opened up the safe with the numbers (recount the numbers) and opened up the safe. Then he started singing:

(Lyrics: Belly, belly, belly, suck up all the money!)

And he flew back to the farmer and gave him all that money. Now cover up your faces and show me how you think the farmer felt when he got all that money! (Students uncover their faces and show happy, surprised, etc. expressions.) Show me how you think the rooster felt when he realized Mr. Stingy Man took his silver dollar! And show me how you feel right now. The farmer felt very happy too, and they lived happily ever after.
I have not seen this story anywhere else, and I'm not sure where my coordinating teacher learned it, but it is always a HIT. I should say that I did adapt the story a bit, because in the original story I heard, the rooster takes the money without being told he can, so I made the story a little nicer. :)

Looking for more Kindergarten activities and lessons? Check out these sets:

                

What are your favorite Kindergarten activities? Feel free to comment below, and happy teaching!

Data-Tracking in the Music Room

Data-Tracking in the Music Room

"Data" seems to such a buzz word lately in the education world. How well are students achieving? How much they have grown from year to year? And how does this apply to the music room?

I first really delved into data when I first wrote my SLO, or student learning objective, a few years ago. I had never tracked data in such a specific way, and I admit, it was a bit scary! Since then, I've grown to really appreciate the information data can give me, and how it can improve my teaching!

So where to start with tracking data in your music room? Here are a few thoughts:

#1: Start with games!

Data-tracking doesn't mean you have to make your students take a pencil and paper test. Have them play a game to collect the information you need! Whether you play a solo singing game like "Come back home my little chicks" (notated in this blog post) or play a rhythm identification game like this freebie, you can collect data in a fun, engaging way...and kids will have no idea that's what you're doing!

#2: Try manipulatives

Manipulatives, like games, can be so much fun, AND a great way to collect data! Whether you are using popsicle stick rhythm manipulatives to see how well students can dictate patterns or songs, or solfa manipulatives to see how well students can hear melodic patterns, students can show you what they know in a very hands-on way! These can be done in a whole group or during centers.

#3: Have students perform

Whether you are having students play "Hot Cross Buns" on the recorder or play a steady beat bourdon on Orff instruments, you can gather a lot of information by observing their performance in music class. Again, they are not sitting with a paper and pencil, but are showing what they can do through performing!

#4: Try written assessments

As much as I've said that assessments don't need to be paper and pencil, sometimes that is the best way to collect the data you need. I find paper and pencil works well for anything involving music notation, as we want students to be able not only to identify correct music notation, but be able to demonstrate it themselves (such as writing rhythm patterns, dictating melodic patterns on the staff, etc.).
In my SLO blog post, I wrote about how I give ta and ti-ti pre-tests to students who have never seen ta and ti-ti. It seems really silly, for sure, BUT they have a sense of accomplishment when they are able to do so much better on the same assessment at the end of the year! It is also super interesting to see how students write patterns before they know ta and ti-ti, whether it be with lines, with hearts, or with numbers!

Now what do you do with the information?

#1: Whole group teaching

One of my favorite ways to address gaps in learning is to simply discuss the most common mistakes as a class. For example, if in a formative or summative assessment, a lot of students identified the pattern mi-re-do as sol-mi-do, you could talk about how they both go from high to low, but with the first pattern, the notes are a step away from each other instead of a skip. Students hear from you that their mistakes are understandable, but here is why they are incorrect. This can be very helpful and even empowering!

#2: Track the data

Once I've collected the data, now I can sit down and track it! This year, I created a data-tracking binder, shown below:

I printed out a rhythmic and melodic page for each class, and put students' names in the correct box under "pre-test," on the page below (please note for the sake of privacy the names don't actually belong to any of my classes--I made the class up to demonstrate how it can be used):

Now I know which students need the most help, and which students perhaps need opportunities for more advanced learning! As the year progresses, I will keep tracking the data, and then can also track from year to year! I have created a free data-tracking binder; you can download by filling out the form below:

Free data-tracking binder!

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#3: Intervention

Now that I have a data-tracking binder, I use the binder to help organize students into heterogenous groups for centers. I will be trying to have a variety of learners in each group and then can pull students who are struggling to work with them one-on-one (like detailed in this blog post). This has been SO helpful in figuring out where each student's breakdown of understanding happens! I've seen some students go from developing to advanced just from me working with them one time. Other students, of course, still need quite a bit of individual help and still may struggle, but by sitting down with them, you can not only figure out what is confusing to them, but you can build a better relationship with each student!

Looking for more ways to track data? Try these sets:

      

What has worked for you with tracking data in the music classroom? Feel free to comment below, and happy teaching!