PreschoolMusic:

MoreThanJustaSong
PreSchoolMusic
MoreThanJustaSong
SandyMiller,TimberRidgeElementary
camiller@johnston.k12.ia.us

Contents
1. PointstoPonder&possiblesolutions

2. Letsplay

3. TheWhys

4. MusicalGoals

5. Resources

6. Questions

PointstoPonder
1. Musicisnaturallyinalmosteverypartofchildrenslives
2. Musicshouldbetaughtformusicssakealone.Period!Howeverthereareloads
ofstudiestosupportteachingmusicforaplethoraofotherreasons.
3. Elementsforunderstandingmusicandlanguagearedifferent,butstructureof
learningisthesame.
4. Bothusethesameprocessthatmakestrongerconnectionsinchildrensminds.
5. Musicandlanguagesharethesameneuralresourcesduringtheprocessingof
information.
6. Researchintheearlyeducationworldandmusicworldareshowingmoreand
moreconnectionstomusicandbraindevelopment.
7. Lackoftrainingforpreschoolteachers,translatestolackofconfidence
8. Lackofsequencing,repertoire,musicalsingingareobstacles
9. Musicteachertrainingdoesnotfocusonearlychildhood
10. Intestingatmospherepreschoolteachersarepressuredtoteachmorereadingand
mathskills
Solutions
1. Formallinesofcommunicationbetweenthepreschoolteacherandthemusic
specialistsshouldbeopen
2. Musicspecialistsshouldbeopentoofferingworkshops,PDs,andclassesonearly
 musiceducation
3. Findawaytocollaboratewiththepreschoolteacherand/orclass.
4. Letmusicteachersteachmusicatthepreschoollevelasascheduledcourse.

Table 2
Parallels between Language Development and Music Development
Language Music
The notion of language is universal. Singing is universal. Every culture has its
Every culture uses language to own form of music.
communicate.
Grammatical structure in language is not The way music is structured in various
universal. cultures is not universal.
Language development begins with an Music development should begin with an
extensive listening period. extensive listening period.
Children begin with cooing and Children also engage in musical babble.
laughing. They engage in vocal play. Eventually they begin to respond
Eventually, babies babble in context and purposefully to the music sounds they hear.
attempt words.
Childrens initial attempts at language Childrens initial attempts at singing and
are not always precise and accurate. chanting are not always accurate. They will
However they eventually break the break the code and imitate music patterns
code. with accuracy.
After listening and speaking for After listening and singing with accuracy,
approximately six years, children are children then read and write what they can
asked to read and then write. already perform.
Runfola,M.,Etopio,E.,Hamlen,K.,&Rozendal,M.(2012,pg9).
LetsPlay
1. Studentscomeinsingingasong

1. WelcomeWelcome

1. IntheykeyofF(childrenscomfortablesingingvoice)

2. Signifiesthatmusictimeisbeginning,andstartsoutinsong

2. VocalWarmUp

1. Usingpipecleanerstomanipulatevoicehighandlow

2. Makeintoletters,numbers,shapesetc.

3. EchoSongJohnnyontheWoodpile

1. Teacherleadandstudentsecho(inkeyofF)

2. UsestudentsnamesinplaceofJohnny

4. SimpleSongPitterPatter

1. KeyofF

2. Goalisforstudentstohearandpracticethismanytimessothey
 cansingitbythemselves(makeitagame)

1. Addumbrellatosingunderwhenitistheirturn:)

5. GameTurnCinnamonTurn

6. MovementtoClassicalMusicFurElise

7. InstrumentExplorationIWentWalking

8. FingerPlayExplorationandSteadyBeatFiveLittleLadies

1. KeepsteadybeatwhileusingtheseFingerPlays

2. Makeitexpressive

9. SongTaleOverIntheMeadow

1. Evenusingarecordingwithabookthathasagoodvocalmodel

WHY?
1. WelcomeSong

1. Helpsstudentsknowtheroutineofmusictime

2. Helpsstudentsbeginwithsinging,changeattitudesandemotions

2. VocalWarmUp

1. Childrendontsingathomeasmuchastheyusedto,thesestudentsneed
practicemovingtheirvoiceupanddown.Alwaysstartatthetop.

2. Anythingwillwork,pretendyouareinaairplane,elevator,useballs,and
toys

1. Encouragevoicemanipulationintheirplayinotherareasaswell

2. Developmentallytheymaynotbeintheirheadvoiceuntil2ndgrade,
buttheyneedrepeatedchancestousethathighvoicetofindtheir
singingvoice.

3. EchoSong

1. Studentsdontneedtothinkaboutthewords,theyarejustechoing

2. Provideschildrentheabilitytosingshortpatternsalone(eventually)

1. Researchshowsthatstudentsbestlearnabouttheirvoicewhenthey
singbythemselves.Shouldbeaneverydayoccurrence.

3. Makesureitisinachildskey,nottheteacherskey

4. Singforthechildren,notwiththem

4. SimpleSong

1. WhenteachingaSimpleSongmakeitgameorusepropstohavethem
singitmany,many,manytimestogetherbeforegoingsolo.Keepthem
busywhiletheyarelistening.

2. Encouragestudentstosingandassimilateawholesongtogether,usually
smallrangesforstudentstobesuccessful.Hereisanotherchanceforthese
studentstosingbythemselvesastheyshowofftheirsongs.
 3. Thismaytakeseveralhearingsandseveralmusicclassestoaccomplish

5. Games

1. SocialPlay,socialskills(takingturns,waiting,respectfultoallclassmates)

2. Movement,breakfromsitting

6. MovementExploration(ClassicalMusic)

1. Onlythebestmusicisgoodenoughforourchildren

2. Movementstotheclassicshelpstudentsfeelphrases,weight,fast,slow,
highlow.

7. InstrumentExploration

1. Studentsneedtoexploreandmanipulate

2. Themoreexposuretoinstruments,themoretheycancreate,andplayin
theirworldwiththem

8. FingerPlay/SteadyBeat

1. Helpingstudentstokeepasteadybeat(importantforallgrowthinolder
musicalsingingandplaying

2. Helpsstudentstobeexpressiveintheirvoiceinflections.

3. Encourageleaders,andvariouswaysofplaying

9. SongTaleorStory

1. Itisanicetreatforstudentstojustlistentoagoodvocalmodel,using
inflection,anddrama.

2. Beartfulinthepresentation

3. Ideallyjustlisteningthefirsttimeandimagining.Lettingtheirbrains
createimagesbeforeshowingthebook.Severalrepetitionsofthesame
songareappropriateoverdifferentlessons.

4. Thisisalsoawayforstudentstocalmdowntogetreadyforanew
 transition

MUSICALGOALS
ThinkTuneful,BeatfulandArtfulthe30yearplan!
Loudvssoft(dynamics)
Fastvsslow(tempo)
Soundandsilencethatcanbelongerorshorter(rhythm)
SteadyBeat
Melodicphrasesthatmovehighandlow(melody)
Phrasescanbethesameordifferent(form)

RESOURCES
JohnnyontheWoodpile(Youtubeexample)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKucBTZYmgA
 PitterPatter(Youtubeexample)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRdKnlmcvhQ

FiveLittleLadies(startwithbothhandsbehindback)
Fivelittleladiesgoingforawalk(Onehandcomesoutandwalksonthefloor)
Fivelittleladiesstoppingforatalk(Handkeepsthesteadybeatwhilepretendingto
talk)
Alongcamefivelittlegentlemen(Otherhandcomesoutwalksonthefloor)
Theyalldancedtogetherandthatmakesten(Handsintertwinetogetherandkeepthe
beatbackandforth)

OverintheMeadow(youtubeexample)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=802PSi_opI

JohnFeierabendFirstStepsinMusicforPreschoolandBeyond,GIAPublication,ISBN:
13:9781579995881
KidsMakeMusic,BabiesMakeMusictoo,LynnKleiner,WarnerBrothersPublication,
ISBN:2915691009
KidsCanListen,KidsCanMove,LynnKleiner,WarnerBrothersPublication,ISBN:0
757917763
y

VocalWarmUpExamples EchoSongs
Mr.WiggleMr.Waggle JohnnyontheWoodpile
TheseareGrandmasGlasses DownByTheBay
SlideWhistle CharlieOvertheOcean
CushBall
PipeCleaners
Bubbles

SimpleSongs MovementExploration
FrogintheMeadow Classicalmusicwithmovement
Pitter,Patter JohnFeierabendMoveItDVDs
JohnnyHadOneFriend
GrandmaGrunts

FingerPlaySteadyBeat Games
Chop,Chop,ChippityChop TurnCinnamon,Turn
FiveLittleLadies HereWeGoRoundtheMulberry
TwoLittleBlackbirds RigaJigJig
EensyWeensySpider
ThereWasaLittleTurtle
Cobbler, Cobbler

Mr. Wiggle, Mr. Waggle

This is Mr. Wiggle (thumb). He lives in a house. So, open up his door,
(mouth sounds), put him inside (mouth sound, and close the door (mouth
sound).

This is Mr. Wiggle (thumb). He lives in a house. So, open up his door,
(mouth sounds), put him inside (mouth sound, and close the door (mouth
sound).

One day, Mr. Wiggle decided to go visit Mr. Waggle. So, he opened up his
door, came outside, closed his door, and went up the hill and down the hill,
up the hill and down the hill, up the hill and down the hill, until he cam to
Mr. Waggles house. He knocked o the door, but there was no Mr. Waggle.
He rang the doorbell, but there was no Mr. Waggle. So, he went up the hill
and down the hill etc. until he got back to his own house. He opened up
the door, etc.

One day, Mr. Waggle decided to go visit Mr. Wiggle. So, he opened up his
door, came outside, closed his door, and went up the hill and down the hill,
up the hill and down the hill, up the hill and down the hill, until he cam to
Mr. Wiggles house. He knocked o the door, but there was no Mr. Wiggle.
He rang the doorbell, but there was no Mr. Wiggle. So, he went up the hill
and down the hill etc. until he got back to his own house. He opened up
the door, etc.
One day, a strange thing happened. Mr. Wiggle decided to go visit Mr.
Waggle and at the same exact moment, Mr. Waggle decided to go visit Mr.
Wiggle. They both opened their doors at the same time..etc.

They met at the top of the hill and said. (kids make up a conversation in
their high voices). They said goodbye, and went up the hill and down the
hill etc.

These are Grandmas Glasses (grandmas voice high and grandpas

voice low)
These are Grandmas glasses
(with index finger and thumb on each hand make circle for each eye
to look through)
And this Grandmas hat.
(place both hands on head)
And this is the way she folds her hands,
(fold hands)
And puts them in her lap
(sets folded hands in lap)

These are Grandpas glasses,

(make large circles with each hand and look through)
And this is Grandpas hat.
(put hands and arms straight up and out)
And this is the way he folds his arms,
(fold arms)
Just like that.
(bounce folded arms up and down three times)


 Cobbler Cobbler
Cobbler, cobbler mend my shoe
Get it down by half past two
Stitch it up, and stitch it down
I will pay you when its done.

Keep beat by pounding one shoe and

then the
Next shoe.

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