Say the “Hello Beat Chant”

The beat chants are a great way to welcome your students to music class or music time. Some music teachers teach more than a thousand students each week and it can be very difficult to remember the names. Starting your class with a name chant establishes a routine, introduces the term “beat” and will help the teacher remember all of the names.

Say the preschool chant, patting a steady beat as you speak. Say hello to four students, then say the chant again. Say hello to them using high and low voices, quiet and loud voices, fast and slow. Also use speaking, whispering, shouting or calling and singing voices. When singing hello use a variety of solfa patterns: so-mi so-so-mi, so-la-so-mi-do or mi-re-do-do-do. In the chants where children say their own names, encourage them to use different voices.

Sing to Melody the Elephant

Practice distinguishing between speaking and singing voices by introducing a toy elephant named Melody. Melody the elephant will do what the children tell her, if they tell her in a “singing voice.” If they speak, she does nothing. Tell Melody to “jump up and down” using a speaking voice. Melody won’t move. Then sing to Melody to “jump up and down” and make your elephant jump. Invite the children to
sing to Melody what to do. This activity helps the students to learn the difference between singing and speaking voices. It’s also great to encourage solo singing. You can soon tell who is matching pitch and who you need to work with when they sing to Melody.

Melody became a requested part of every music class. If I forgot to bring Melody out, they asked for her. They all wanted to give Melody hugs after class, so we developed a routine where if they were sitting nicely in their places, Melody would come and give them a hug.

Introduce different instruments using the “Mystery Box”

Put 5-6 instruments in a box so the children can’t see what you're playing. Play it, and they identify the instrument. It’s a great way to introduce them to the timbre of unpitched instruments, and to help build their vocabulary as they learn the names of all the instruments!

Play along with “Play, Play, Play Along”

Give the students rhythm sticks or whatever instruments you have available. Play along with the song!

Play along with “Play and Stop!”

Review the “Music Room Rules”

Go over the rules one at a time.
Ask the students for examples - What would be good choice?
How can they be nice and kind?

Extension: Have the students draw a picture that shows them playing an instrument carefully.

Review “Welcome, Welcome”

Sing each hello in a different voice: high/low, loud/quiet, sing, speak, whisper, call
Extension 2: Keep a beat with an instrument, and introduce that instrument to the class.
Example: Rhythm Sticks
Ask - What are these called?
Ask - What are these made out of?
Ask - How do you make sound with them?

Option 1: Listen to the story “All Are Welcome”

Listen to the story, "All Are Welcome."
Pause the video and sing the welcome song each time you hear the words, "All are welcome here."

If this is your lesson 3 of school, you could do the story from lesson 2 "So-me and the Spider" or go on to the story "The Listening Walk"

Option 2: Listen to the story “So-Me and the Spider”

If this is your lesson 2 of school, you could listen to the So-Me and the Spider storybook instead of All Are Welcome. If this is lesson 3, jump ahead to the story "The Listening Walk."
- Every time you hear so-me (so-mi) sung, pause the story and echo.
- Use this as an introduction to sounds around us. Have the children listen to the sounds they can hear in the classroom and make a list of the sounds on the board.

Option 3: Listen to the story “The Listening Walk”

If this is your 3rd lesson, read the story "The Listening Walk"
Then listen with eyes closed to sounds you hear in your classroom.
Make a list of the sounds.

Do Fruit Rhythms

Optional: Create Fruit Rhythm Patterns

Black and white manipulatives are available in the supplemental resources.

Keep the beat with body percussion

Watch the video and do the body percussion that is shown.
If the video is too quick for your students, use the gear tool in the bottom right to slow it down.

Optional: Complete an All About Me activity

• Trace the words on the page.
• Color the things you'd like to do in music class.
• If you want to save paper, draw a picture of what you'd like to do in music class.

Omit if you did this in Week 1.

Review “Wash Your Hands”

Watch the video to learn the "Wash Your Hands" song.

Play the video again and sing along!

Talk about other ways we can help to prevent spread of germs: don't share water bottles, cough into your elbow, use a tissue. Research says that washing hands is a proven way to help prevent spread of germs.

Also talk to the students (and their teacher) about having students use the washroom and have a drink before they come to music class. If necessary, talk about your procedures in the event that a student does need the restroom. But remember - in PreK - if one needs to go, all of a sudden they all need to go.

Review the actions for “Skinnamarink”

Watch the video and learn the actions.

Can you do all the actions?

Sing our Goodbye Song "Skinamarink"

Skinnamarink is the song we sing at the end of every music class.

Watch the video and sing along!