Sounds and emotions

Hello everyone!!!!

Today I’m going to tell you about something that help me a lot to catch the attention of the kids, the emotions =). The few time that I have taught, I can see in my students that the way they feel is the way they work.

So, at the beginning of the class I sing and ask them about the way they feel, I ask them “How are you?” and sometimes with a big smile on their face  they answer me “sad”, “angry” or “tired” and it’s pretty funny, the first time that I saw that I thought they haven’t any idea of what they were saying but when I asked them to act it out they did it right.

Often, we sang a song called "If you’re happy" and it goes like this:

If you’re happy, happy, happy 😀

Clap your hands

(X3)

If you’re angry, angry, angry 😠

Stop your feed

(X3)

If you’re sad, sad, sad 😢

Cry boo boo

(X3)

If you’re surprise, surprise, surprise 😮

Raise your hands  (Here you can scream and they really love it)

(X3)

If you’re tired, tired, tired 😴

Go to sleep

(X3)

The environment is better when the students feel good. What do you think about it? Do you use any other activities?

Holidays and songs

Holidays help us to remember  our  history and  they take us back to our roots. Around  the world there are many cultures and holidays that, the learning about other cultures helps us to expand our child’s experiences and world. Also, it helps to create understanding across cultures.

At preschool the best way to learn about the holidays it is through songs or brief stories with colorful images and good music. Some holidays that we celebrated are:

Columbus Day

On the second Monday in October, Columbus Day is a legal federal holiday that commemorates the first voyage of Christopher Columbus, who sailed west from Spain in 1492 and reached the islands of present day Bahamas.

Thanksgiving day

In the United States, Thanksgiving is a time for tradition and sharing. People gather with family and friends on the fourth Thursday in November to enjoy a traditional meal and to give thanks for life's many blessings.

Christmas

It is celebrated on December 25. Christmas is a joyful holiday of Christian origin that is recognized by many people in the United States.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14. It is a day for sweethearts. It is the day that you show your friend or loved one that you care.

Saint Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17. St. Patrick is the beloved patron saint of Ireland. He was held captive for six years and it was then that he became a devout Christian. He established monasteries, churches, and schools.

There are many holidays and one of the students favorite song is “Hello Ms. Turkey How are you?” a thanksgiving song. The following video is about the song. 

Do you have another song? Please comment 😀

References

https://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/celebrate-holidays-usa

Circle Time 🌞

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WHAT IS A CIRCLE TIME?

In the classroom we usually do activities in group, we sit down on a blue line or we make a circle. This is a special time because we share fingerplays, chants, songs, stories, and also we play games or we do relaxation activities. This teaching strategy is called Circle time.

It can gives us a time for:

• Listening
• For learning new concepts
• Communication
• Relaxation 

A BRIEF HISTORY

Some commentators cited the example of the North American Indians who sat in circles with a feather or pipe to regulate contributions as a way of explaining its origins. Other writers also pointed to the USA as the home of circle time.

Ballard, based in the USA, wrote one of the first guides to circle time in which he described it as “a curriculum of affective growth and human relations skill development”. There are many similarities between the Ballard model and that promoted by Mosley in the UK, both in terms of frameworks and aims or goals. In both models, the circle time is structured to allow for listening and responding.

The next video is an example of a circle time activity. Enjoy it!!!

REFERENCIAS

Collins, M. B. (2011). Empowering Childen Through Circle Time:. National University of Ireland Maynooth.

FINGERPLAYS

What are Figerplays?

Babies play with their fingers, these are the first toys and tools that they use for learning. There are some songs called “Fingerplays”, they are brief stories that rhyme and can be dramatized by the fingers.

Are they useful?

😃👍

They can be used to: provide transitions, motivate, relax, introduce theme, provide theme for integrating skills and concepts, provide for a project, begin group time, develop listening, develop language, develop number and counting, work with order and sequence, develop self-esteem, develop coordination, encourage discussion, follow directions,  encourage cooperation. 

And these can be used to develop different areas:

• The play are great emotional potentials.
• In social terms fingerplay is a great opportunity for the child. The child plays the game in two, together with an adult, and in the play it is about a unique partnership.
• Develop motor skills.
• Develop cognitive abilities. Fingerplay provides challenges in the areas of mathematics, language, music, society, movement, and, of course, arts.

Some Tips at the moment to introduce it 

When you teach a new fingerplay, it is best to repeat the rhyme at least a couple of times. The first time through, go slowly enough so that the children can catch onto the words. Don’t forget to explain the motions. Consider the following steps when presenting finger plays:

1. Introduce the fingerplay to the children by saying rhyme and using the finger movements. Use media if appropriate.
2. Invite the children to repeat the rhyme and repeat one line at a time.
3. Repeat again using finger movements.
4. Continue to use the rhyme during the day and during the study.
5. Present extended learning activities with the rhyme.
6. Encourage children to share the rhyme with parents or "important others" in their home.

Example

Teddy Bears

Five little teddy bears ready to play.

(hold up right hand)

The first one said, "Let's have a happy day." 

(move thumb)

The second one said, "I'm ready for some fun."

(move first finger)

The third one said, "I can see the sun."

(move second finger)

The fourth one said, "I will play with Mary." 

(move third finger)

The fifth one said, "I will play with Jerry." 

(fourth or little finger)

Five little teddy bears ready to play.

(hold up right hand)

Five little teddy bears ran away.

(place hand behind you and repeat rhyme with left hand)

By Betty Ruth Baker

REFERENCES

Baker, B. R. (1992). Fingerplays: An idea from the Past with Learning Opportunities for the Present and Furture. 1-12.

Shin, J. K. (2017). Get Up and Sing! Get Up and Move! Using Songs and Movement with Young Learners of English. English Teaching Forum, 14-25.

Cvetko, J. S. (2015). THE VALUE OF FINGERPLAY AS A FORM OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE CURRICULUM OF THE FIRST AGE PERIOD. RASPRAVE I ČLANCI, 411-423.

SOME BENEFITS OF MUSIC

Many teachers know that songs are funny and can engage young English learners, understanding more deeply the benefits for child development and learning could help them use songs effectively.

The tone, pitch , rhythm , etc.  help children to  learn a new language in an easy way.  Most people learn song lyrics faster than words and melodies tend to store easier in the memory even  though the meaning of the words might not be clear. Children are able to retain much larger amounts of information through the use of songs. 

The kids can imitate the rhythm and musical contours of the language long before they can say the words. The phonemes (tone, pauses, stress, and timbre) come first and then the consonant and vowel sounds are placed.

The songs also increase the vocabulary, the speech, builds self-Esteem, aids in better listening, builds patience, develop motor skills, etc. So is an excellent tool to implement in every day activity,  helping to develop different areas of the brain and body.

Also the songs can do the following:

• Provide authentic, meaningful context: Using songs bring authentic language. The new language becomes more comprehensible, memorable and useful.
• Introduce children to the target culture: perhaps the first exposure to the existence and richness of a culture.
• Create enjoyable classroom atmosphere: students lower their anxiety.
• Provide opportunities to practice oral language: the melody and rhythm are useful for improving students’ pronunciation and intonation.
• Aid in retention and comprehension: the rhythm and repetition in songs help learners retain new language.
• Enhance literacy instructions: They are effective for developing phonemic awareness.

For example the song “Put On Your Shoes” is good if you're teaching vocabulary of clothes and it can help with the grammar phrases like: Put on your (shoes). So the kids can improve their vocabulary and english language.  

What do you think about the benefits? Are there other? Please comment😊

REFERENCE

Shin, J. K. (2017). Get Up and Sing! Get Up and Move! Using Songs and Movement with Young Learners of English. English Teaching Forum, 14-25.

THE FIRST SOUNDS

We learn through our interactions and communications with others. So, what is the first interaction that a person has with the social environment? How does it help to learn?

“Gardner (1993) describes music as the first intelligence to emerge. Children are naturally inclined to sing and move to rhythms”.  

During the pregnancy, inside the mother’s womb, the baby 👶can hear the heartbeat 💓, the mother’s 👩 and father’s 👨voice,  and other environment sounds 🌳🐦⛅. These are music ♫♬🎜🎝🎶 for the baby’s ears and it helps to develop different cognitive areas of the children’s brain. The results are in better hearing and language development.

An interesting fact is by the time they're born the children can still remember the mother’s heartbeat. In an experiment, mothers left their children alone in a room, and the children felt uneasy and afraid. But then, through loudspeakers, they heard the sound of their mother’s heart and immediately the children calmed down and even smiled. Let’s watch the video below 

So, the time passes and the kids are able to remember some sounds. This is interesting and it happens with many songs that we have learned when we were children. For example: the song “Head, shoulders, knees and toes”. Everybody know it, even if your teacher never taught you the song you can easily learn it.  Therefore, it is a useful tool because the music helps in the learning process of the language and the students will enjoy.


REFERENCE

Shin, J. K. (2017). Get Up and Sing! Get Up and Move! Using Songs and Movement with Young Learners of English. English Teaching Forum, 14-25.

SOUNDS OF NATURE

The children are curious and they always try to figure out how the world around them work. They love to discover new things and one way they can do this is by hearing.

Animals, insects, and even weather can create amazing noises. These sounds wake up the curiosity to know and learn something that is interesting or new for the kids. So, we can take the sounds of the nature and mix them with the learning of English to create exciting activities that catch the attention of the students and make a significant learning.

🌳🌲🌲🌳🌳🌲🌲🌳🌳🌲🌲🌳🌄🌄🌞🌞🌄🌄🌳🌲🌲🌳🌳🌲🌲🌳🌳🌲🌲🌳

SOME ACTIVITIVIES

• One activity to reinforce the vocabulary that the students are learning, for example animals, is ask the kids listen to the sound and name the animal they heard. In this case, they identify the sound and relate it with an image that they name.

• Another simple activity is just to play sounds of different kind of weathers, ask the students to close their eyes and feel how the temperature change from hot to cold. They learn to identify opposite words.

And eventually, when the students have more tools and contact with the language, the use of more vocabulary and grammar structures can be applied in the activities. For example:

• They listen to the nature and they describe what they heard. So they can make use of the adjectives and nouns.

• Tell them a story using different sounds of the nature and the students have to act it out. So they imagine and interpret what they got.

The students need to have a previously knowledge of the English language about what they hear, so this can work better and the results can be great. 

Brain Breaks

Sometimes the kids are tired and their brain, too. They need a break. So there is a technique called BRAIN BREAK. A brain break is a short mental break that is taken during regular intervals during classroom instruction, this is a physical activity that can be matched with music.

 This tool can help kids to get focus and keep calm. As we all know, kids have a ton of expendable energy and it can often present itself at inopportune times. So a brain break might be beneficial for you to regain control while also re-focusing the kids’ minds and sense of clarity.

WHAT ACTIVITIES CAN WE DO?

There are many activities that you can do in 5 or 10 minutes, for example some of the activities that I usually do:

·     Simon says is a classic game that gets students up and moving. It's also a game that you can end after one minute or five minutes. It’s so useful to review the verbs.

·  The song Head, shoulder, knees and toes is another classic that everybody likes and enjoy.

·    Choo choo train. The students make a line, play some music and ask them to move when the music stars and get freeze when the music stops. They move with the rhythm, they learn to listen and follow instructions, and they enjoy it!!!

·    Have a three minute dance party. Put students favorite song and allow students to dance, stop the music and ask them to get freeze. Play the music again and ask them to  dance or do another action.

This activities can be performed from around 5 to 20 minutes.

TO GET MORE IDEAS!!!

In these links you can find more activities:

https://unicefkidpower.org/brain-breaks-for-kids/

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-a-brain-break-2081615

And if you want to move like a penguin at the rhythm of the music, this is  a nice video for you:

❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤

❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤👀❤

Music therapy for ADHD kids

I work in a preschool and I have children with different capacities and knowledge problems. Some students are diagnosed with ADHD, so I've started looking for some therapies with music and I find them. But, before we go into the topic let’s see What ADHD is.

What Is ADHD? 

ADHD is the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a medical condition. A person with ADHD has differences in brain development and brain activity that affect attention, the ability to sit still, and self-control. ADHD can affect a child at school, at home, and in friendships.

Kids with ADHD may have signs from one, two, or all three of these categories:

• Inattentive. Kids who are inattentive (easily distracted) have trouble focusing their attention, concentrating, and staying on task. They may not listen well to directions, may miss important details, and may not finish what they start. They may daydream or dawdle too much. They may seem absent-minded or forgetful, and lose track of their things.
• Hyperactive. Kids who are hyperactive are fidgety, restless, and easily bored. They may have trouble sitting still, or staying quiet when needed. They may rush through things and make careless mistakes. They may climb, jump, or roughhouse when they shouldn't. Without meaning to, they may act in ways that disrupt others.
• Impulsive. Kids who are impulsive act too quickly before thinking. They often interrupt, might push or grab, and find it hard to wait. They may do things without asking for permission, take things that aren't theirs, or act in ways that are risky. They may have emotional reactions that seem too intense for the situation.

Some therapies with music help to improve the brain functions, they use different musical styles and instruments. To developed the children attention is so important because when they play an instrument or listen to it, they develop the sense of rhythm and the ability to listen. So they can improve their focus attention 👀👂 and it's possible that music could become a non-pharmacological intervention. In the link below we have a program that helps children to improve the brain health, at any age or level of ability.

https://advancedbrain.com/the-listening-program/

There is a success story about Max. He was diagnosed with ADHD, and his parents wanted to avoid putting him on prescription drugs of any kind, so they spoke with a neurofeedback doctor, and found their way to The Listening Program®. Since using TLP, Max’s entire family has seen a change. His teacher reported a “significant improvement” in his behavior in the classroom. He’s more able to “go with the flow” according to his mom, and no longer do last minute changes in plans get him worked up as they did before. Also, The Listening Program® can help on autism, ADD and ADHD kids.

REFERENCES
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/adhd.html
https://advancedbrain.com/the-listening-program/

Relaxing Music

Hello! Today I'm going to talk about the use of music in the classroom. This is a useful tool to help kids calm down and focus.

✨🌈✨🌼🌻🌼🌻🍄🌹🌼🌻🌹🌺🌼🌻🌹🌷🌼🌻🌹🌸🌼🌻🌹🌼🌻🌼🌻✨🌈✨

Music is an art, entertainment, pleasure, meditation and a medicine for the soul and the body, the music can regulate and change emotional states. Certain music improves the mood, intelligence, motivation and concentration. It also improves the quality of life and aids in physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. It helps in the treatment of autism, dementia, Alzheimer’s, chronic pain, emotional trauma, mental disorders, and depression. Music decreases anxiety, anger, stress, and frustration.

The music involves the use of the whole brain. It improves:

• Memory
• Attention 
• Physical coordination 
• Mental development

The instrumental music can be used for relaxation, study, meditation and stress relief. So it is great to use it in the classroom at the moment the kids are doing some activities like painting, coloring, drawing or just when you want to create a peaceful and nice environment.

Sometimes, I used instrumental music at the moment the kids are doing an activity on the book, it works pretty good cause they focus better in the activity. Also, the music relaxes the teacher 😊

I was searching for new music and I found this relaxing guitar music for children, I hope you like it.

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References:

https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/The-Effect-of-Music-on-Human-Health-and-Brain-Growth

EXPLORING THE SENSE OF 👂

Hi!! I looked for some activities that you can use to explore the sense of hearing. I hope they can be useful and fun 😊

Activities:

• Let the kids play with a tape recorder. Record each child talking. Play the tapes later and let the kids guess who it is. You can also record cartoon characters speaking and see if the children can guess who the character is.

• Have the kids pretend to be robots. The robots must follow directions. Tell the kids the robot code. One beep means move your arm, two beeps means jump, and so on. Make up directions for the robots to follow.

• Let the kids make music with musical jars. Collect about five jars or glasses. Fill each of the jars with a different amount of water. Using a metal spoon, let the kids tap on the jars to make music.

• Teach the kids about loud sounds versus soft sounds. Play music very loud and then very soft. Give the kids instruments and have them play loudly and then quietly.

• Let the kids play with seashells . Show them how to put the seashell to their ears to hear the ocean. Get bubble wrap and cover a section of the floor with it. Let the kids walk on it to make lots of noise.

• Matching game. Fill eggs with beans, coins, marbles, corn, rice, soil, pasta, etc. The boys shook the eggs and paired them by sound. After matching each pair they guessed the contents of the eggs.

These are some ideas that you can adapt to your class 😉

REFERENCES

https://wehavekids.com/parenting/5-senses-activities

http://www.learnplayimagine.com/2012/10/3-ways-to-explore-sense-of-hearing.html

https://playtolearnpreschool.us/sound-matching-game/

THE MUSIC IN PRESCHOOL

Hello everyone!!! Today I want to share some useful information about the use of music  in classroom. You'll discovered why it is important the use of this tool.

Many teachers know that songs are fun and can engage young English learners, and understanding more deeply the benefits for child development and learning could help them use songs more effectively. Music and song can do the following:

• Provide authentic, meaningful context: Using songs bring authentic language. The new language becomes more comprehensible, memorable and useful.

• Introduce children to the target culture: perhaps the first exposure to the existence and richness of a culture.

• Create enjoyable classroom atmosphere: students lower their anxiety.

• Provide opportunities to practice oral language: the melody and rhythm are useful for improving students’ pronunciation and intonation.

•  Aid in retention and comprehension: the rhythm and repetition in songs help learners retain new language.

• Enhance literacy instructions: They are effective for developing phonemic awareness.

Furthermore, children are able to retain much larger amounts of information through the use of songs. Researcher asserts that a child can imitate the rhythm and musical contours of the language long before he can say the words, and caretakers of young children will agree. Musical aspects of language, tone, pauses, stress, and timbre are sonorous units into which phonemes, the consonant and vowel sounds of language, are later placed .

There are many songs that you can use, one of the favorite songs last year was "Baby Shark". So, I share the video. Enjoy it 😁

After you have read it and watched the video, please comment about what the children can learn or develop with this song.