Toys Lesson 10

Hi folks, we have been having lots of fun learning about 'stars' - how they move, listening to songs about 'stars' and playing instruments to various rhythm patterns to those songs. This week we are going to do the last lesson in the 'boat' series and moving on the 'trains' next week.

I didn't get to do If I had a Big Blue Boat book yet which you have as part of the home materials and this week we will definitely do it. We will read it once over to get familiar with the story and then we will add instruments to produce the various sounds we can hear when we are in our big blue boat such as triangles for star, rubbing of sandblocks for sounds of rustling leaves. Kids will learn that an important element in music is to be able to use instruments to tell a story - just like composers use music to tell stories in opera.

Michael Row the Boat Ashore, another song which we can use to learn different rhythm pattern. Last week we did a similar activity using O Watch the Stars. This week, the kids are doing it independently - playing whole beat and half beat - while pretending to be rowing in their boats. It is a challenging activity for them but I have full confidence that they will be able to tap and splash according to beat. We will see during parent sharing time as I hope to be able to show you all this activity.

We are going to use coconuts (!) and shells (!) to perform an ensemble by the sea. It is going to be fun for the kids to be able to use objects they are familiar with to playalong to steady beat and producing an orchestra of beach sounds.

Out Here on the Sea, another familiar and favourite activity of the kids....we will have a underwater treasure hunt as we look for creatures under the sea while we sing and compose to this familiar song! This activity provides an opportunity for kids to compose and to develop sustain focus and attention span as they look for creatures under the sea.

It's been a while since we last have a synchronized circle dance and thats what we are going to do this week to Toembai. As I have shared in class before, doing a synchronized dance is a fun and easy way for kids ( and parents) to appreciate and develop a listening ear to different sections in a piece of music.

Well my dears.....I see you in class then. Have a good Merdeka holiday this friday. May God Bless Malaysia with many more years of peace living in harmony and unity.......