Music Time

Welcome Songs:

Hello, Hello
(please click here for a link to the tune of this song)

Hello, (kids echo) Hello.
Hello, (kids echo) Hello.
We welcome you today.

To share with us this preschool day,
And be our friends in a very special way.

Hello, (kids echo) Hello.
Hello, (kids echo) Hello.
We welcome you today.


Here We are Together
(Tune of "The More We Get Together")

Here we are together,
Together,
Together,
Oh, here we are together,
This bright sunny day.

There's Peter,
And Jackson,
And Benjamin,
And Rachel.

Oh, here we are together
This cold, rainy day.


Where is Thumbkin?

Where is Peter,
Where is Peter?
Please stand up,
Please stand up.

How are you today, sir?
Very well, I thank you.
Please sit down,
Please sit down.

Stand Up and Turn Around
(Tune of "Where is Thumbkin?")

(Childs Name) stand up; (Childs Name) stand up.
Turn around; touch the ground.
Reach up really high now; jump to touch the sky (wow)
Now sit down, now sit down.

Other activity songs/ finger plays:

I usually check out the website everythingpreschool.com and look under the theme I'm teaching, then click on songs. For example, the song above is one of about 20 songs under the "All About Me" theme from that website. Not all of them are worth using, but we sing this one often since it gets them up and moving and tests their listening skills. We usually end it with "everyone stand up, everyone stand up...":

Another great places to find activity songs or finger plays is
Index to Activity Verses and Songs with Actions in Primary 1 (from lds.org)

This one has lots of songs (especially about family, moral themes like honesty, and Christian themes) to choose from (It indexes the Primary 1 Manual also on the website and you have to go and find the song in the lesson).

These are my favorite learning songs to sing with the kids during circle time:

Days of the Week
(Adam’s Family Theme Music)

There’s Sunday and there’s Monday,
There’s Tuesday and there’s Wednesday,
There’s Thursday and there’s Friday,
And then there’s Saturday,
Day’s of the week (clap, clap)
Day’s of the week (clap, clap)
Day’s of the week, day’s of the week, day’s of the week (clap, clap)

There Are Seven Days of the Week
(Tuen of "Oh My Darlin’")

There are seven days,
There are seven days,
There are seven days,
Of the week

Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday,
Saturday.

Sunday, Monday
(Tune of "Little Bunny Foo, Foo")

Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday, Saturday,
Then we start again.
(Sing again, as many times as you like)

Children's music that I have on my I-pod and use often (You should be able to look them up at I-tunes and buy any that you want. After compiling this list, I realized that I love the Music for Little People CD's!):

Action/activity songs:

The Wheels on the Bus, Music for Little People, 101 Toddler Favorites

Ring Around the Rosy, Music for Little People, 101 Toddler Favorites (Disc. 2)

Monkeys on the Bed, Music for Little People, 101 Toddler Favorites

The Freeze Dance, Music for Little People, Birthday Party Singalong

Head, Shoulders, Knees And Toes, Music for Little People, 101 Toddler Favorites (Disc 2)

If You’re Happy & You Know It, Music for Little People

Hokey Pokey, Music for Little People

Alphabet Songs:

A- You’re Adorable, John Lithgow, Singin’ in the Bathtub

Alphabet Song, Sound Stage Orchestra/Children’s Showcase Singers, One Hundred One Favorite Ch: Vol. 1 A-H

ABC’s, Music for Little People, 101 Toddler Favorites

Alphabet Song, Music for Little People, 101 Toddler Favorites

The ABC Song, Susan Salidor, Come & Make a Circle

Other Songs
(for dancing/movement with instruments):

The Month Song, Susan Salidor, Come and Make a Circle

Cleanup, Start Singing with Barney

Count the Animals, Kindergarten Sing & Learn

Singin’ in the Bathtub, John Lithgow, Singin’ in the Bathtub

It’s Hard to Be An Elephant, Jack Prelutsky, A Pizza the Size of the Sun

Jump Rope Medley, Music for Little People

It’s Raining, Music for Little People

Over the Deep Blue Sea, Susan Salidor, Come and Make a Circle

Boom, Boom, Music for Little People

Sh-Boom, The Chords, Cars

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Music for Little People

This is a photo of my box of instruments. You can make a lot of things yourself, or buy a set and add to it as I have here.

Anyone have any other great ideas about homemade instruments, cool music, songs, or CD's? Please share!

Sports Theme, Day 1

First, a little about us. We are 4 SAHM moms, we each take turns teaching in our homes. We teach 4 boys. We teach two weeks at a time, two days a week, for two hours each time. We met together and planned the themes that each of us wanted to teach. Then we assigned letters, numbers & shapes for each segment. There really is no rhyme or reason to my lessons. I try to follow the schedule that us four moms agree upon, but as for the actual material, I like to try new things each time. I get my ideas from the internet.

For music time, I put together a preschool CD that is divided into four parts. Each part lasts about 15 minutes. I use the same CD each time I teach. The kids love it, and since we only meet every six weeks, they don't get tired of doing the same thing over and over. I like it because I know that I have 15 minutes of each day already planned! They especially love "Goin' on a Bear Hunt" by Greg & Steve Kids in Action. We get out our pretend backpacks and put our pretend snacks inside (and don't forget the camera!), then we sling our pretend backbacks on and we're on our way. When using instruments, I try to have them follow the beat.

Theme: Sports

Letters: Mm & Qq

Numbers: 13, 14

Shape: Pentagon

Day 1

9:30-9:45 Circle Time

9:45-10:05 Letter Stations – Letter Mm (5 minutes each)
Sing the alphabet song. Introduce the letter of the week, Mm. Discuss what the lowercase and uppercase letter looks like, sound like and words that start with it. Do action words that start with the letter Mm- (pretend you’re using a) Mop, (act like a) monkey, (drink a glass of) milk, (putting on a pair of) mittens. (Thanks Cristi for the idea!)

Break into stations:

• Computer station: starfall.com “Letter M” only
• Worksheet station: Matching “M” words
• Chalkboard station: Tracing the letter Mm (you write Mm on the chalkboard and then have each child trace over the letter with chalk)

10:05-10:10 Lesson – Body Movement
Ask the children what sports they like to play or watch. Have them pretend they’re playing soccer, baseball, basketball, swimming, fishing, hiking, football, etc.
Talk about soccer
What are some of the rules? (No hands except for the goalie, you can use your feet or head)
What do you wear? (Jersey, shorts, cleats, long socks, shin guards) Show pictures from the picture book, Morgan Plays Soccer.

10:10-10:20 Reading
Morgan Plays Soccer by Anne Rockwell

10:20-10:35 Snack

10:35-10:45 Play Time
Soccer in the hall

10:45-11:00 Music
Goin’ on a Bear Hunt by Greg & Steve Kids in Action (action song)
Shoo Fly by Susan Salidor Come and Make a Circle (use instruments)
Jungle Gym by Jack Johnson Sing-a-longs & Lullabies for the Film Curious George (use instruments, or creative dance using colorful scarves)
Tap your Toe and Follow Me by Susan Salidor (Action song)
The Wheels on the Bus by 101 Toddler Favorites (action song)

11:00-11:10 Math- Number 13
Have each child share their “13” of something (they had a homework assignment to find "13" of something and bring it to preschool)-practice counting

11:10-11:25 Art Activity

Print this soccer ball onto cardstock: http://www.lil-fingers.com/coloring/images/soccer.gif. Point out the pentagon shape on the soccer ball, have then squeeze glue onto the pentagons only. Then have them sprinkle glitter on the glue.

11:25-11:30 Closing
Read books on their own