Flip Chart - Joseph Smith's First Prayer

Hey, everyone!

Sorry it has taken me so long to get this flip chart posted.  This one actually has A LOT more words than I usually put on flip charts (meaning most of the words are on this one).  Because of the sacred nature of the lyrics, and the references to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, I didn't want to use symbols or other visual hints.  The pictures are fairly repetitive, but I feel like it is okay in this case.  I hope you find it useful - it may be pretty much the same as others you have found!

Have a great time with this song...it is one of my favorites!

Flip Chart

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Oh, my heck...I'm so excited!

This is another one of those random, nothing to do with primary posts.  Forgive me if you thought this was going to be useful to you at all...it probably isn't.

But I'm excited!  In my last random post, I referenced my bucket list.  I actually did a post about it on one of my other blogs, but that was only my teenage list.  My grownup list is so much better.  And safer.  Anyway, one of the things on my grownup list is to open a preschool.  I just love teaching kids (which is probably why I loved being a chorister!), and all of the sudden the opportunity is just falling into my lap.

Yep.  I'm opening a preschool!!!!

Oh, man.  It's awesome.  A couple of gals in my ward have been running a preschool for the last 10 years, and a few days ago I found out that this is going to be their last year.  After some prodding and encouragement from my mom, I got up the courage to call these ladies and ask if they would mind if I sort of picked up where they are leaving off.  They have been so gracious and helpful, and I think with their help I'll be able to transition really easily.  So, it's off to the races!  I might be a little preoccupied with preschool stuff for a while, but I still have a bunch of things in the works here, so I'll still be around.

Are any of you preschool teachers?  What advice can you give me?  I'd love all the feedback I can get!

Oh, and if you live in North Utah County, I know a really good preschool for the fall...(hint, hint!)

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Q&A - So They're Just Not That Into You...

For many of you, the title of this post will have no relevance - you have totally "got" this calling:  you have the kids eating out of your hand every week, they love everything you do, and when they see you in the halls or the grocery store or in the carpool line they spontaneously burst into angelic primary song singing splendor.

But for some of you others, it kind of stings a little bit because you have actually felt this once or twice, or maybe even all the time.  Before I get any further into this post, I want to reiterate that these musings are only my opinions and are based on my own experiences.  Of course I am not implying that any of you are lousy choristers, because that is absolutely the furthest thing from the truth.  I guarantee it.  The fact that you accepted this calling proves that you have the stuff it takes to be great at what you do.  So, this post is to help you maybe identify what the problems might be (if there even are any), and a few ideas on ways to change your image, so to speak.  So here goes.

Reason they might not be that into you #1:  They're bored.

I am not a huge fan of elaborate singing times.  Just peruse my archives and they will prove that.  Simple is really good almost all of the time.  However, it is really easy to slip into a rut of easiness.  Please don't think that simple = easy all the time.  Planning a successful singing time takes time and effort each week - don't get stuck in the "oh, I guess I have to do singing time today...let's see, what do I have in my church bag that we can play hot/cold with..."  I know that happens sometimes, trust me - I've been there.  But prayerfully and carefully considering what those kids need is a time-consuming process.  One thing I will tell you that I cannot stress enough...just because they're bored, that doesn't mean you're boring!  See how I put that in red so you would actually read it?!  Here are some ways to combat boredom.

-Use a singing time schedule.  You don't have to use the one that I made, but find one that works for you. ---Stagger your birthday and welcome songs so you don't sing the same ones every week.
-Use a wiggle worm jar.
-Follow the 5-10-5 rule.
-Don't take the program songs so seriously that you forget that there are hundreds of other killer songs out there that you can spend time teaching.
-Don't be afraid to deviate from the plan - if things are just going off track and you're losing them turn things back on them.  "I can see that we are in the mood for something else - what do you guys think would be fun?"  or "You know what?  I'm bored.  Are you bored?  I'm bored.  I think we need to switch gears.  How about we do a little bit of stretching...then we'll sing Suzy's favorite song.  Then how about we try this again?"

Reason they might not be that into you #2:  They smell blood.  And they are starving, chorister-eating animals.

Are you scared?  Shy?  So far out of your comfort zone that you're searching for your 72-hour kit?  Are you overwhelmed because your primary is so big it has a nose-bleed section?  Oh, you can't sing?  And you stopped being creative in kindergarten?  And the last chorister was the best EVER and you'll never live up to her?  And all of the adults are staring at you and judging you and uploading videos of you doing Head Shoulders Knees and Toes onto Facebook?

Okay, so you're scared.  I get it.  I have mentioned in a few posts now about my exponential use of deodorant and anti-diarrheal medication during those first couple of months.  We all get it - there are a lot of things to be afraid of, but you have to gird up your loins, people.  If the kids smell fear, they will exploit it.  It's just the nature of children (no, children are not inherently evil, they are just really good at finding a weakness and never letting you live it down.  and that's a true story, in my opinion!).  Be assertive.  Set rules and follow through on them.  Expect good behavior.  Remember - they might be the carnivores, but you control the food source.  Show 'em who's boss!  And don't forget - you can't have fear and faith.

Reason they might not be that into you #3:  They're too cool for singing time.

Here are some thoughts on boys.  Many of those ideas can be applied to girls and younger kids, too.  If you have one or two or several kids that just flat out refuse to sing, maybe give them a break.  Enlist one of them to be your helper for the week or month.  Get them involved and you might see a difference.  Sometimes just separating problem pairs can work wonders.  There is no reason that children can't be paired up with different classes or ages.  If Bobby and Dave won't sing when they're together, then Bobby stands up at the front picking helpers and Dave gets to sit with the Sunbeams and help them learn the song.  Think outside the box and try to figure out how to reach them.  And it's okay that they're growing up or feeling insecure - it happened to all of us.  If they're being downright rude, involve the presidency, teachers, and/or parents.

Reason they might not be that into you #4:  They're tired/hungry/hot/cold/excited/stressed/miss their mom/etc.

Sometimes some things are just out of your control.  Aside from setting up a buffet of peanut butter sandwiches and singing them to sleep, there just might be nothing you can do.  On those days when things are just out of control, throw caution to the wind and sing fun songs.  There's always next week!  When I mention stress, that is a very real thing for some of these kids.  If they are feeling pressured to learn songs and stick to a schedule, it takes the fun right out of it.  Don't ever let them feel like they are not meeting expectations.  Their only job is to have fun and learn a few things along the way.  You're a facilitator, not a headmistress!

Can you think of any other reasons that kids may not be that into singing time?  How do you overcome the most challenging days?  Here are a couple of issues that some of our fellow choristers are having...what advice do you have?

"I have a few kids that get so mad when they aren't chosen to help every single time. If another child gets chosen twice they interrupt the song and walk up to tell me they should have another turn also. I tell them I won't pick the kids that disrupt me. Then they stalk off and stop participating."

"I have a few teachers that do not enjoy their calling. They sit in the back and roll their eyes at me all sharing time. There is one that always corrects my mistakes and makes suggestions on games etc. I'm not sure if I should include them more with my review games or just keep pretending they don't exist."

"What do you do when the kids are starting to get out of control (especially the new sunbeams)?"

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New Products at LDSPrimaryProps

I am SOOO excited to tell you this!  I am teaming up with my darling sister-in-law, Jen, to bring you a whole bunch of fun new things to download!  Jen is an amazing graphic designer.  Some of you may have seen her day-planner, and you may even be using it!  We've been talking on and off forever about doing some sort of something together, and when I started thinking about all of the things I wish I could create for primary (but can't because my tech abilities are super limited), I knew that she could do a bang-up job!

She is busy creating downloadable versions of all of the ideas in my head, and we are going to start posting them to the Etsy store!  The first one is up already - a dang adorable Armor of God printable.  So go check it out!  And keep checking back for more!  Her designs are amazing...you're going to love everything that's coming!
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Q&A: How to Create an Effective Flip Chart

Flip charts can be a great way to teach a new song.  I have several opinions about them, so I'll share a few of those with you and then give you some ideas about how I create flip charts and how you can do it at home!

Opinion #1:  Don't overuse them.  You do not need to use a flip chart every month.  There are a lot of other ways to teach songs, so mix it up every now and then.

Opinion #2:  I like using flip charts for songs that we don't sing very often - Christmas, pioneer/heritage, Easter, Mother's/Father's Day, etc.  I do not think it should be required for these types of songs to be memorized.

Opinion #3:  I am not a humongous fan of flip charts that have all the words on them.  However, for primaries that are fairly small, or have fluctuating attendance, this type of flip chart is great.  That way, if you have kids that don't come regularly, they can still follow along and not feel left out.  I will not typically make this type of visual aid, but I'll help you in the next part of this post with how to make your own in just a few minutes.

Opinion #4:  It is okay to print the words on the back of the pages of the flip chart.  See this post.

Guidelines and Tips for creating flip charts of your own:

As I go through this, I'm going to refer to the flip chart I made today for "If the Savior Stood Beside Me," so you may want to have that open in another window so you can see what I'm referring to.  If not, no biggie.

--Here are the websites I use to find clipart:
Microsoft Clipart
LDS Clipart
LDS.org Images
If all else fails, sometimes I look on Google images for generic things like eyes, ears, etc.

--Find a program that is easy to use and manipulate images/text.  If you're good in Word, that would work.  Microsoft Publisher is another good one.  I use Art Explosion Publisher Pro Silver, which is just the beefed up version of Publisher.  It allows me to layer text and images really easily, and well, I just really like it.

--Once you pick your song, try to find the main points that you want to focus on.  What are the main questions?  Key words?  Concepts?  Doctrines?  This will help you decide how you want to visually represent the song.  Since I just did a flip chart for "If the Savior Stood Beside Me," I'll use this one as an example.  I noticed that the first two verses are full of questions about how I would behave if the Savior was standing next to me.  What would I do?  What would I say?  Would I follow?  How would I live?  Would I share the gospel?  Would I be more reverent?  I wanted to focus on those ideas, so I used the key phrases "Would I do" with a red question mark that repeats throughout the song.  The rest of the words are less pointed to me - I'm not as concerned that they wonder if their words are kind and true.  I am more interested in them remembering the real question - Would I say the things I say?  That way, they can use that question to apply its principles to their actual daily life.

--Use the images to make your point.  You don't have to type out all of the lyrics.  In ITSSBM, it says "think of his commandments," but that would take up a lot of space.  So I used a little thought bubble with an image of the stone tablets.  Love is a heart.  See is a magnifying glass.  Etc.

--Choose your images very carefully.  This is how the kids are going to associate words with meaning.  In ITSSBM, the first question is "would I do the things I do?"  I wanted to find a picture not of kids doing something bad, because I don't want them to associate themselves with wrong choices.  But not of them doing something good either, because I want them to really think about all of the things they do, not just the good things.  So I found a picture of a little boy that looks like he's in the middle of making a choice.  Bingo. In this same flip chart, the image I used for the chorus was hard to choose.  I wanted one where the Savior was actually standing nigh (near), in a position where he was looking down (watching over).  I like this one especially because it showed the child at home, comfortable, with his scriptures.  As we learn more about the gospel, we understand better and better that we can really feel the Savior near when we are doing what we are supposed to be doing.  I think this picture summed that up really well.  See the deeper meaning that we can bring out as we choose pictures?  This step is the one that by far takes the longest, because you end up really searching and pondering each picture.

--Use a font that is easy to read and large enough to see from far away.  In my flip charts, I use a font called Hank BT, in a 90.0pt size.  Use black for the bulk of the text, but feel free to highlight key words in different colors or other fonts, just to make them stand out more.

--Try to follow the same format for each verse.  Look at ITSSBM, the first page of the first and second verses.  They are the same - not only because it makes it easier for you, but the kids will have an easier time recognizing the similarities.  Use the same layout for each chorus (see that the chorus page is actually in the flip chart 3 times).

--Use the flip chart to give hints on dynamics, melodic intervals, fermatas, etc.  In ITSSMB, the first two verses go down at the end, the last verse goes up.  I represented that by having the words follow the pattern:

watching                  and                       me.
       over                                         over
            me.                           watching

--Remember the church guidelines on pictures of the Savior - use only those that have been printed in the church magazines and GAK.  There is a wide variety of them to choose from, including more cartoony ones and more artistic versions.  If it's in the Friend, it's okay to use.  Be sensitive about using pictures depicting Heavenly Father, and as far as I know I don't think you're supposed to use any pictures at all depicting the Holy Ghost - does anyone know the guidelines on that for sure?

--If you do not have access to a printer or the right software to make your own flip chart, don't be afraid to make one from scratch (like with paper and a marker).  At the end of each month, I go through the Friend and Ensign and cut out all of the pictures that could be used in a flip chart or lesson or FHE or whatever.  I have built up quite the collection of images, and there are seriously a million ways to use them.  One of my favorite primary blogs is The Children Sing - pretty much all of her visual aids used cut out images from church magazines - seriously, go there and get some ideas.  Kathleen is dang amazing - I love her and I've never even met her!

--If you do want to include all of the lyrics, you still need to choose your images and font very carefully.  Make sure the font is big enough to see from the back of the room.  A good rule of thumb is that the text should equal at least half of your page.  With this type of chart, the image is secondary to the text, so shrink that picture and blow up those words.

--To keep your flip charts protected, slip them into plastic sheet protectors.

--If you orient your flip chart to landscape, you can put the pages into a 3-ring binder and flip them really easily by opening the binder so the covers are together - no dropping pages!

What do you like about flip charts?  What do you think makes them effective and useful?  Feel free to share your ideas so we can all find something that works :)

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If the Savior Stood Beside Me - Flip Chart

Here is a flip chart for If the Savior Stood Beside Me.  It is pretty much just key words with pictures.  On the chorus, the first two verses have "watching over me" in a downward direction, on the last chorus those words go up so the kids can remember that it ends on a higher note.  Have fun!

Click here for the PDF.

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Q&A: How To Teach a Song From Scratch

Q:  I would love a post on how to teach a song. I am a newly called chorister and being a college-age convert to the church I never experienced primary as a child. I'm just not sure how to teach a song from the beginning .....thanks!

A: Yes.  Teaching a new song can be really daunting.  It doesn't matter if you've done it a million times, you still wonder what to do, what visuals to use, is the song too hard?  I don't have TONS of advice to give on this one, but here is what has worked for me.  Please feel free to comment and share what brings you the most success!

Finding the right method:

I suggest trying to find a way to teach a song that works for your primary.  It could be flip charts, posters, white boards, colored envelopes, repetition, etc.  For the kids I worked with, I found that they had the most fun and learned the best when I did rearranging activities.  Basically, you assign each phrase a picture or prop, then have kids come up and stand in a line holding said item.  You start with them really mixed up, and as you sing the song the kids have to put the pictures in order.  They had a total ball doing that, and I could usually teach a whole verse/song in one singing time.  Let me take just a minute and explain a few ways to teach songs, pros, cons, and a few helpful hints...

1.  I sing, you sing (aka "repeat after me").

This is probably one of the more difficult ways to teach a song, especially to Junior's.  Simply singing a phrase and having them sing it back to you is effective, but it really needs to be paired with visuals and you have to really listen to see if they're singing it correctly.  If you choose this method, really watch the kids mouths to see if they're catching on.  You want them to understand what all the words mean and how they fit together.  Keep in mind that teaching in this way also might affect where they are breathing - so remember to teach them phrases in a breath, not necessarily phrases according to the lyrics.  (for example "I am a child of God." echo. "And He has sent me here."  echo.  You should teach the line "I am a child of Go.........d, and He has sent me he.....re."  Does that make sense?)

2.  Flip charts.

I love flip charts.  I think they are amazing, but they have a time and a place.  I don't think you should rely on flip charts for every song you teach.  First, they are a total drain on your ink supply!  Second, they tend to be really small and ineffective for larger groups.  If you choose to use flip charts, there are typically two different kinds out there - the kind with all of the words printed on there, typically in smaller-than-helpful print, and the kind with a few key pictures and words/phrases.  If you have ever used a flip chart that I have made (like Samuel the Lamanite), you know that I prefer the key pictures/phrases.  (caution...I'm about to crawl up onto my soap box.  Please skip to #3 if you don't want to hear it...you've been warned!)  Here is why.  I think association and assimilation are more effective than memorization.  By giving them just a hint at what is coming up, it requires them to dig a little big deeper into their psyche and find those lyrics.  Simply reading the words will help them learn the song, for sure, but giving them the opportunity to create their own connections will help the song stick in their minds a lot longer.  Look for an upcoming post on how to create a good flip chart.  It will help hone this idea in.

3.  Posters.

Same idea as flip charts, but bigger.  Easy to use, no flipping and dropping pages, easy to see from the back of the room.  Hard to store, impossible to use in Sacrament meeting.  Can be hard to fit long songs on one side of the poster board.  You can use blobs to cover up parts of the poster to help wean them off of it.

4.  Disappearing visuals.

Imagine putting pictures on the board, each with a phrase of the song underneath it (all of the words or just key words.  I use key words...I'm just sayin'.  see #2).  Make sure the pictures and words are separate, so you can remove each part.  Sing the song all the way through.  Start by removing a section of words.  This is a great way to use a helper.  Sing the song again with the missing piece.  Continue until all of the words are gone.  Now they just have the pictures.  Repeat the whole thing again, this time removing one or two pictures at a time until the board is empty.  By the end, they should be pros.  This works better with shorter songs.  Longer songs take too much time and you run the risk of the kids losing interest.  

5.  Blurs.

I love this method, and so do kids.  Assign each phrase a picture.  I should warn you, this requires a small level of computer savvy, so if you feel uncomfortable doing this one, that's OK!  Go to www.fotoflexer.com.  You can use another program if it's easier, I just think this one is great because you don't have to download any software to your computer.  Upload your picture by clicking on the yellow bubble in the top right of the screen (which usually requires you to have the file saved to your hard drive or desktop).  Click the white upload bubble in the middle.  Find your picture and open it.  Your picture is now in the editing module.  Use the rotate buttons in the middle to get it oriented correctly, if necessary.  To make a blur, click on the Distort tab.  The Twirl function is what makes a blur.  You can also use the other tools, they are all pretty hilarious.  Don't make it too easy, but don't make it too hard either.  You want them to have to think about how that picture might fit into the song.  When you're done, save it as a JPG.  Then you can open it and paste it into a Word document to print.  Fit as many as you can on a page to save ink.  When you get to primary, give one set of blurs to each class.  Sing the song once through, using some recall questions to get them thinking about the lyrics.  Then have them try to put the blurs in order while you walk around the room singing the song quietly.  It will take a few times for them to get it, but you'll find that they start singing along with you.  It's like teaching by osmosis.  They learn it without you even trying!  This activity is better with Senior primary.

6.  Recall questions (aka challenge questions, discovery questions, etc.)

--How many times did I say "pick a word" in this song?  Let's sing it again and find out.  6?  Are you sure?  I thought I heard 7.  Let's sing it one more time, just to be sure.

--This song says we should follow someone.  Who should we follow?

--This song is really high!  What word is on the highest note that we sing?  Let's sing the song and hold it on the very highest note...see if you can remember when it's coming up.  When we get there, let's raise our eyebrows really high!

--This song has a lot of words that rhyme.  Can you think of any?

--How does this song make you feel?

7.  Movement and rhythm.

Use hand jives, actions, sign language, sway back and forth, etc.  Just remember to wean them off of the actions before they sing in Sacrament meeting (don't get me wrong - I love a good gospel choir, but we are just going for something different!)

8.   Use the scriptures.  

Did you know that almost every song in the Children's Songbook has a scriptural reference?  Use this to introduce the song, so they can associate the why behind the what of the message.

9.  Have a fun introductory activity/object lesson that gets the kids excited about learning the new song.

When we taught Praise to the Man, I downloaded an MP3 of this song played by bagpipes and drums.  I had the kids sit really quietly and told them we were going to learn one of the most powerful songs I know.  I brought my little portable speakers and turned them up to an appropriately loud volume (borderline inappropriate).  The bagpipes began playing, and when they got to the second repeat the snare drums came in and I thought the kids were literally going to jump out of their seats - but they stayed quiet!  We listened to a minute or so of the song, then I asked them how that song made them feel.  Like marching!  Happy!  Like I'm going into a battle!  Then we talked about power and what that meant.  Can music be powerful?  How can we be powerful like Joseph Smith?  Where does power come from?  We didn't even sing the song that day, but the next week they were really excited to dive into it.  If you do an introductory activity, don't feel like you have to start learning it right away.  Wait until next week - let the excitement build up so that they are really ready to begin.

10.  Don't rely on the piano.

Children learn better with your lone voice.  But wait - my singing voice is horrific!  First of all, I don't believe you, I'm sure you sound fine.  Maybe not the MoTab Choir, but fine just the same.  If you are legitimately concerned about singing all by your lonesome, have the piano softly plunk the tune, but no accompaniment.  If you are singing a capella, get a starting note and go to town.  If you go flat, no biggie.  All of that will resolve itself when you add the piano.  Do you want to know another benefit of not using the piano from the beginning?  You can actually hear where the kids are having trouble.  The piano is the great equalizer - it covers up a multitude of sins.  But those are the things that you need to be aware of and trying to fix.  If the kids sound really strong and then it fades into a mumble and gets strong again, you can fix that!  You can hear and see who isn't singing, where your hot spots are, and where you need to work on dynamics.  When they have a good handle on it, add the piano in.  

11.  I still can't get over singing without the piano.  You really have no idea how bad I am!  Come on!

I love you.  The kids love you.  Most importantly, Heavenly Father loves you.  Get over it.  ;)  Take some Immodium.  Or just use the piano, it's really not the end of the world.  Whatever you do it's going to be great!

12.  Keep it simple. 

Really, don't stress about it.  Don't forget the 5-10-5 rule.  Pray about the message of the song and how best to convey that to those kids.  They are, after all, His children.  He will lead you in the direction you should go.  Don't plan anything too time consuming or complicated - save that stuff for review days.  Repeat, repeat, repeat.  If they just aren't getting it, move on to something else, go home, regroup, and attack it from a different angle next week.  Have fun.  Smile.  Wear a lot of deodorant   Take a nap after church.  You get the picture, right?

There you have it - a few thoughts on teaching new songs.  Still have concerns?  Let me know!  What is your tried and true method of teaching a song?

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