The popularity of Karma Wilson’s “Bear” series of picture books is richly deserved. Charming characters, rhythmic text, and easy-to-follow, often repetitive storylines make these books perfect for reading aloud to young children. As a music teacher, I’m always on the lookout for stories which are easily “musicalized” – either with sound effects like stomping or […]
Category Archives: early childhood education
Noisy Science If necessity is the mother of invention, I’d have to say that one of my best teaching “inventions” was inspired by the necessity of my not going completely deaf. You see, I’m an early-childhood music teacher. You know how noisy a typical preschool classroom is? Well, I’ll see you that noisiness and raise […]
Young children express a remarkable amount of creative thinking through physical improvisation. They explore their bodies’ possibilities for power, speed, range of motion, directionality, and emotional expressiveness on a daily basis to an extent that would exhaust a professional athlete or dancer. Games and activities that incorporate opportunities for movement improvisation are a very natural […]
“Bailar Rapido” is from an amazing CD with the Best. Title. Ever. – “Salsa for Kittens and Puppies,” by Baby Loves Salsa. The CD comes with a storybook about a plucky band of animal musicians who celebrate their friend’s birthday by making music all over New York City! The CD and story are just filled […]
In the olden days, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln each had their own birthday, like regular people. Since their birthdays were so close, though, they graciously agreed to celebrate them on the same day in honor of three-day weekends. Nowadays we remember these great presidents by sleeping late and shopping. This song is a leave-out-the-words, […]
The other day, while singing “Old MacDonald” with a class of three-year-olds, I found myself wondering how many times I’ve sung this song. Must be in the thousands, I thought. Well, I just did some calculations. Multiply approximately ten times a day, three or four days a week, times say fifty weeks a year, for (excuse […]
Is this a leopard or a cheetah? Not sure? Keep reading… Is it too late to make a New Year’s resolution? Because I’d like to make one today. (Sorry, Jan. 1 through 26!) I resolve to follow up on every scientific inquiry made by one of my young students. Even when it’s masquerading as an […]
Learning About Bats With a Song Kids LOVE! Bats are so cute!! Yes, you read that right. C’mon, how cute is this little guy? Bats are also the most populous mammals on Earth, next to rats (which aren’t cute). (Sorry, rat lovers!) So it’s good for children to learn about these furry flyers. This week, […]
A wonderful thing about teaching toddlers through pre-K at one school is that I get to watch a speeded-up version of child development, like time-lapse photography, whenever I teach. The toddlers sit and stare at me, my picture book, my keyboard, and my puppets with wide eyes. Very few can clap on the beat or […]
April showers bring May flowers, as the saying goes. But here in New Jersey, the rain, in blatant disregard of both the calendar and corny old sayings, is still falling. No one’s a big fan of bad weather, but I’d argue that it’s particularly annoying for preschool teachers. Young children need to get outside every […]
Music (and Science) For Young Children 