Report cards are done- YIPEEEEEEEEEEE! I have been MIA on my blog with those darn things, concert prep, the flu, aaaaand a lame car accident this week (no one was hurt thankfully)!
Our school's K-3 concert preparation continues. 10 days until concert night number one. The kids are doing a fabulous job, but it is starting to peak a little early. At this time, students are getting close to the point where they are sick of the songs. WE CAN'T HAVE THAT YET!
Here are some more tips and tricks to keep your kiddos entertained as they continue to practice their concert songs over, and over, and over again...
I am not a fan of blog posts without photos, mostly because I have the attention span of a 6 year old... So I am truly sorry that I have limited pics for this post! I know it's a long one but it'll be worth the read!
MORE TIPS AND TRICKS FOR ENGAGING REHEARSALS:
How Does My Voice Work?
Show them this neat and super short video about the voice. As the video plays, stop it to clarify certain ideas. After the video, have your students place their hand high on their chest, near their throat, and say something together. They will feel a vibration and think it's so cool!
Thanks
Denise on Pinterest for the cool video!
Movement Words
Once students know the words to their piece, internalizing activities are super fun and really work the brain. Choose a word that repeats throughout the song. Have students do a non-locomotor movement instead of singing that one word. For example, instead of singing the word "tree" in one of our songs, I had the class jump. You could have them raise their arms, clap, or even stand and sit
(they get a real kick out of that one).
Hula Hoop Internalizing
This is another internalizing activity that kids LOVE! Have one student stand inside of a hula hoop in front of the class. The class sings their song with a background track or piano accompaniment. The student in the hula hoop decides when to hop outside of the hula hoop. Once he/she does that, the class must internalize the words as the accompaniment continues. Once the student hops back into the hula hoop the class continues singing.
Positive Feedback from your Neighbour
I know this sounds simple, but it is a great easy trick for engagement. I went to an engagement workshop a couple months ago with Eric Jensen and he used this throughout the day. All you do is have the class say different things to their neighbours! For example, if you hear something good have your students say "You have a beautiful voice" to a neighbour or "Wow, you are a great singer!" or "Congratulations you just learnt a new part!" and give a high five.
Spot Call
Dollar store foam cutouts are my BFF. I use them for a million different things, but during rehearsal time they are fun to use for Spot Call. Spread out foam cutouts on the ground and have students sit on them when they come into Music class. Have a chart of the different colours on the board, either with dry erase markers or create a colour chart with construction paper. During a song, point to a colour and have the students sitting on that colour stand and sing. It's simple but a blast. They really get a kick out of internalizing! Plus it gives you a chance to hear individual voices more clearly.
Other Stuff
I also use tricks from my past posts for rehearsals. Click on the activity to link you directly to the post here on my blog.
What are you doing to get your kids ready for Winter Concert time?
- Steph
