Prepare a small heart for each phrase of the song. Draw a large heart on the chalkboard and post the small hearts around it. Challenge the children to sing each phrase of the song correctly. If they can, place a small heart within the larger heart. Repeat with the other phrases. If you wish, you could include a couple of additional hearts with the terms “tone” and “dynamics.” Explain how to sing with expression and a good tone. Sitting up straight and watching the conductor is important. Sing the song again, and when they achieve a good tone with proper expression, add those small hearts to the larger heart as well.
This week I will add a “way to sing” on the back of a couple of small hearts, such as boys or girls sing, stand to sing, etc. After we fill the large heart, we’ll choose one or two of the small hearts and sing the song again, following the directions on the heart.
5 comments:
Thanks for sharing all your great ideas! I love doing the music in primary as well and it's even better when we can share ideas! Thanks for sharing!
With the hearts, are you saying that once the kids sing the phrase writen on the heart, they get to move it to the big heart?
I'm the substitute chorister in a brand new ward. This post was a lifesaver. Thanks!
You are so welcome, Jenae and thanks for making me clarify! I don't even write the phrase on the heart. We just sing each phrase, one at a time, and when the children can sing the phrase well, we move a small heart into the big heart. When the large heart is full, they "know it by heart." ;o)
As an additional activity, I sometimes write a way to sing (boys or girls sing, whisper sing, those wearing the color blue sing, etc.)on the same small hearts that we filled the large heart with. We choose from these only if the kids seem to be willing to continue with this same song.
Angie, I'm glad to help. ;o) Good luck in the new ward. I hope you get to stay in Primary.
I used this idea today to teach "For Thy Bounteous Blessings." It is such a short songs with simple phrases, and the idea of the heart was enough motivation to hold their interest while they practiced the phrases. After just a few minutes we were ready to sing the song as a round and the children were thrilled with how they sounded. Thanks for the simple, effective, cute idea!
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