One of the best things I have learned since being a chorister is that sometimes all you need to teach a song is the rhythm.
Clap...snap...clap...snap. That's how I introduced "Sing a Song" to our primary kids. Once they got the rhythm, I sang the song all the way through (all 2 lines of it!). They kept the rhythm, and then started singing as they heard the song over and over again. Now all I have to do is start that rhythm, and they know we're singing that song.
Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap.
Follow the rhythm.
Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap.
Do you have it?
Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap.
Let's do it one more time.
Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap.
Good job! Now, listen...
Our Pro......phet-has....Some-words...-for-you.
Keep clapping!
Our Pro......phet-has....Some-words...-for-you.
And-these....are-the-words....be-true....be-true
At-work....or-at-play...in-dark.....ness-or-light
Be-true.......be-true.....and-stand-for-the-right.
And there you have the foundation to learn this month's song in no time. Then, at random times during future singing times, start clapping the rhythm...
Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap....Clap-clap.
And I can almost guarantee that your kids will know exactly what song you're singing!
{NEW} here is a PDF of "Be True" in 5 different colors. I got the idea from this post in the Primusic Yahoo group:
I printed out Be True in five different colors in size 200 type. Then I handed them out to the children. They were able to choose their own colors. Each time we sang "Be True" I had the children hold up the sign. When we sang "And stand for the right," I had the children stand up.
As we sang through the song repeatedly, I'd hold up a different colored banner that matched the colors of the "Be True" signs the children were holding. Then, only the children with that color sign were to hold up their signs.
Eventually I had a child help me and we had two colors up at a time. We were able to repeat the song many times without the children being bored. My children now know that song very well!
Wendy
As we sang through the song repeatedly, I'd hold up a different colored banner that matched the colors of the "Be True" signs the children were holding. Then, only the children with that color sign were to hold up their signs.
Eventually I had a child help me and we had two colors up at a time. We were able to repeat the song many times without the children being bored. My children now know that song very well!
Wendy
Thank you, Wendy! I love being able to glean information and ideas from other people, especially fun and simple ideas like this one. Good luck with "Stand for the Right!"
LOVE this idea - so simple but so effective! Thank you!! I'm definitely using this idea tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteLove that idea! Rhythm keeps their hands busy too so it helps those wiggles. I'll definitely be trying this.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this idea. When clapping did you sing a capella or with the piano?
ReplyDeleteAurelia,
ReplyDeleteWe started clapping and singing without the piano, then to keep the kids moving, I had them stand up and bend their knees to the rhythm (so their heads were bobbing up and down). Once they were in a rhythm, the pianist joined in at that tempo. By then they knew the words and I had a few kids come up and set the tempo - super slow, super fast, whatever they wanted. Pretty soon they were trying to sing and clap/bob faster than the pianist could play and it was really fun. And they learned the song, so we can check that one off the list!