Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Week 1 SONGS AND FINGERPLAYS

So you're ready to plan what you will do.  I always over plan, even after all these years.  There's that HIGH EXPECTATIONS again.  So I'll call this WEEK ONE to allow for flexibility.  Oh, that's another necessary element in teaching. 
SONGS  
Songs are essential to use when needing an attention grabber or JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT.  Sometimes the children just begin singing while they are working.  Don't we adults get a tune in our head that we hum, whistle or sing to ourselves?
Get your favorite list of songs to begin and end each day.
Change up your song list to make it fresh and fun.

I love to sing Raffi's version of "The More We Get Together".  You can use your class names to include in ..."there's Sarah, and Zhyon and..."  After a few times of singing this, I have the children cover their name tags to challenge myself to remember their names!

Dr. Jean's "Hello, How Are You?This is good for an opening the day song.  It's going to be a happy day!

FINGERPLAYS
Fingerplays are fantastic to use when you need a brain and body break while going through all those procedures the first week.  

When teaching fingerplays be methodical.
SAY THE WHOLE RHYME TO CLASS, 
SAY A LINE AT A TIME and class repeats. Here you can adjust repeating slower or in shorter or longer chunks as needed.  This stretches their memory.
SAY RHYME WITH THE CLASS
Enjoy their smiles!  Do it again.

I WIGGLE
I wiggle my fingers     (stretch out hand and really wiggle those fingers)
I wiggle my toes.          (point to feet, while wiggling toes...can't see them under shoes)
I wiggle my shoulders   (wiggle shoulders)
I wiggle my nose.          (use #1 finger to wiggle nose, later I ask them to wiggle without 
                                          touching...can you do it?)
Now...all the wiggles are out of me  (shake hands and arms, then clasp hands overhead
                                                            and cross legs...BE CAREFUL and safe!)

So I can sit still          (when you say the word SIT, all should try to sit down carefully.                                  Challenge them to try this without uncrossing legs....CONTROL--
                                   practice at home) 

As still as can be."        (hands folded in lap)


ONE LITTLE HOUSE
I teach this at the end of the first day.

One little house    (hold up hand into a fist for a house)
Shut up tight  
Open the door
And there inside    (open hand and point to palm with opposite pointer)
Are   1,2,3,4,5        (count fingers holding up pointer as one, two bunny ears....)
Five little children 
Tall and straight     (opposite pointer finger strokes counting fingers up for straight)
Ready to go to kindergarten   (hold up both hands and wiggle all fingers--excitedly
Don't be late!        (put hands behind back) 

 CHANTS 
Teacher says  "The more you practice (right)"
Students respond "the better you get!"

Teacher says   "Are you ready?"
Students respond  "YES, I'm ready!"  There was a 60's song by Barbara Mason that comes to mind that begins with this line.  (dates me doesn't it)

FREEZE 
Use lights out, chimes, a bells, hand clapping rhythm
Teacher says "Hands on top"
Students respond "Everybody STOP" (puts both hands on their heads and turn to speaker)

Also LOOK AT THE SPEAKER
Lesson #1:  Move around the group so they have to turn their head first slightly, then their whole body to face me.  When I am talking here...where do you look?  The children think it's a game when I move from one side of the group to another. 
S- sit up straight
L-look at the speaker (direction of voice)
A-always listening 
N-never talking
T-track the presenter (voice)

So ..."Are you ready?" ..............

 


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