“Bumpety Bump” by Pat Hutchins There are fun movements and sounds on almost every page of this charming book. It’s great for this time of year, when many young children are visiting farms for pumpkin picking and hayrides. The ride in “Bumpety Bump” is a wheelbarrow ride, given to a young boy by his grandfather […]
This article of mine originally appeared in Creativity Portal in November 2010. Children Need to Know We Value Their Ideas By Abby Connors It’s wonderful to stimulate and inspire creative thinking in the classroom, but we also need to show children how much we value their creative efforts. When a child, or anyone, feels that […]
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” – Plato In my music classes with young children I see this every day. Music brings enthusiasm, energy, smiles, ideas, more life to children’s […]
“One Little Finger” by Super Simple Learning from the CD “Super Simple Songs” – 1 available on iTunes Usually I don’t care much for “generic” children’s recordings – they don’t seem to have much character or particularly excellent musicianship. This song, though, just hits the nail on the head for an age-appropriate fingerplay song for […]
“Are You a Horse?’ by Andy Rash “Are You a Horse?” is one of those stories where the protagonist is clueless and the children listening to the story know what’s going on. Children LOVE these stories, because they give them a chance to be the smart ones. Roy gets a saddle for his birthday and he […]
Talking About Tambourines This week I’ve been using tambourines in my music enrichment classes (I rotate among several different rhythm instruments) and my experiences in the various classes have reminded me of why I both love and hate tambourines. Okay, I don’t like to use the word “hate” – let’s say “Have problems with.” Tambourines […]
Helpful bouncing babies show that moving together builds bonds from the time we learn to walk Date: June 24, 2014 Source: McMaster University Whether they march in unison, row in the same boat or dance to the same song, people who move in time with one another are more likely to bond and work together afterward. […]
“All Around the Kitchen” Dan Zanes from “Live! All Around the Kitchen” CD available on iTunes Why do you see a picture of a rooster with a song called “All Around the Kitchen,” you ask? Simple – because the words “cock-a-doodle-doodle-doo” appear in pretty much every line of the song. Dan Zanes is a unique […]
“Looking for a Moose” by Phyllis Root This is one of my favorite stories for fall, especially because of the use of fall colors in the illustrations. It also has Phyllis Root’s great ear for rhythm and rhymes that captivate young children. There’s not really a lot of plot to “Looking for a Moose.” A […]
This article of mine originally appeared in Creativity Portal (creativity-portal.com) in December 2010. Creative Arts and Creative Thinking Are Not the Same Thing! By Abby Connors Earlier this year, I presented a workshop at a unique international conference, “Educating the Creative Mind,” held at Kean University in Union, New Jersey. The conference was tremendously stimulating, […]
Music (and Science) For Young Children 