I’m so happy to announce the publication of my new book! ISBN: 9780876593493 Pages: 184 Publisher: Gryphon House Published: 06/01/15 Item Number: 10061 Shake, Rattle, and Roll Rhythm Instruments and More for Active Learning by Abigail Flesch Connors Music and movement go together like books and reading—they spread joy! It’s no secret that quiet doesn’t always […]
Category Archives: Creative Thinking
This article originally appeared in Teachers Net Gazette in May 2012. Using Puppets to Improve Reading Comprehension Have you ever heard anyone argue with a puppet? I have. I recently read “Henny Penny” to a class of four-year-olds. After the story, Henny Penny herself (in puppet form) came out of my bag, and she was […]
“Flap Your Wings” You don’t have to be a chicken to sing and play along with this silly movement song! If you have arms and an imagination, you’re good to go! Have children stand in a circle. Tell them that in this song, we’re going to flap our “wings” and then clap. This is how […]
This article originally appeared in Creativity Portal in September 2010. How to Help Children Stay Creative Picasso famously stated, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Anyone who lives or works with young children knows they truly are artists, buzzing with creativity, filled with wonder, curiosity, and […]
Here’s a cute activity for a rainy day, or for a unit about rain, from my book “The Musical Toddler.” I’m a Little Raindrop (tune: I’m a Little Teapot) Young children are curious about rain, and they enjoy the opportunity to pretend to be a raindrop! I’m a […]
I bet I know what you’re doing this week, early childhood professionals! You’re coloring eggs! Since I’m a music teacher, I’m not personally dealing with in the whole- ‘nother-dimension of messiness that dying eggs with preschoolers involves. Butthat doesn’t mean I don’t have a great tip for you! Save those egg cartons for music time! You’ll often […]
“Everyone Likes to Jump” Here’s an easy and improvisational music-and- movement activity for rainy days, or any day! Children should be standing in a circle. Jump to the beat while singing to the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”: Everyone likes to jump, jump, jump, Everyone likes to jump, jump, […]
(This piece appeared in slightly different form in my book “Teaching Creativity.”) As teachers, we often assume that praise will boost children’s self-esteem and confidence. And for encouraging appropriate behavior, or reinforcing tasks like learning to tie shoes, praise can be a helpful teaching tool. But when it comes to developing children’s creativity, praise can […]
A very insightful five-year-old girl named Dina once taught me a very important lesson. I was teaching her class a song I’d written, one of those songs where the children were supposed to supply the rhyming words at the ends of silly phrases – like “Today when I put on my hat, it started […]
“Bodies 1-2-3” by Peter and Ellen Allard from the CD “Sing It! Say It! Stamp It! Sway It!” Vol. 2 available on iTunes Sometimes you want a very simple, very easy movement song that children can follow easily and doesn’t require a lot of explanation. And one that children will have fun with! That’s […]
Music (and Science) For Young Children 