Imagine That - SWIS Lesson Plan 10

Hello mums and dads! Christmas is round the corner! This is the last week of music class before we take our Christmas break. There won't be a class on the 23rd of December. The year is coming to an end, another year beckons. Our kids are growing up, learning new things, maturing in mind and body. Personally, it has been a real pleasure for me to have the privilege to teach each and every child in this class. Each child has her/his personality, and contribute in a unique way to the class....and it has been a real learning experience for me and for the kids since we started lesson 1. Thank you parents, for entrusting me with the responsibility of teaching your kids. If there are areas which you think can be improved on, please give me your feedback. My joy is to see these kids continue with their music programme, each at their own pace and to have fun learning and playing music.

Kindermusik offers a comprehensive music programme until the Young Child stage ( from 5-7 years old) and it is my hope that parents can see the benefit and stick with the programme until then. I started piano lesson when I was 5 years old. Looking back, if I had the opportunity to do Young Child instead of formal piano lessons, my appreciation of music will be so much more complete and enjoyable.

We have done many musical concepts this semester and there are more to come. I realise sometimes it is difficult for parents to see the benefits because it is not so structured BUT children at this age learn through play and the best way of learning music is through imaginative play. They are training their ears, learning about instruments, learning to move their bodies ( fine and gross motor skills), learning breath control, learning different musical concepts ( such as fast and slow, loud and soft, glissando, accelarando, listening to different patterns in music, learning sequencing, expose to various genres of music and many more.

This week, we are singing and moving to a new song, Allee Galloo Gallee. This song has the concept of glissando ( pitch direction)...from up to down and down to up. The kids will be moving different body parts to up and down glissando sounds. We will be playing to the song with the glock first so that the kids get to hear the song in proper pitch. The kids will be also given a chance to play the glissando on the glock so that they get a hands on exprience of what it means to move up and down glissando style.

We will be concentrating on instruments this week. We will be using the rhythm sticks for hello song, playing the drums to Ha, Ha This a Way, and moving the egg shakers to All Join Hands. This will be a chance for me to observe how well the kids can move to the different beat in the various songs, and how well they can meet the different challenges of moving to different sections of each song.

We will be moving to different speed according to the drum cue. We have done this before, but this time around I won't preempt them to what the movements will be. They have to use their ears to listen and move. They will need to show focus and self control to be successful at this activity. I will also be doing some sequencing in the way we move, and see whether the kids can predict the sequence in the way we move.

During parent sharing time, I will introduce to you a book of different types of birds and the different sounds they make. Then we will attempt to orchestrate a kindermusik Bird song ( a vocal ensemble). This vocal ensemble highlights the following musical benefits:

- learning to follow a conductor's cue to start, stop, continue and change dynamics.
- experiencing a vocal composition with beginning, middle and end.
- creating something in a group setting, thus solidifying the bonds of the group.

It will be interesting to see and hear what we come up with this week! Finally, we will end with a Christmas surprise....for me to know, for you to find out when you come to class!