Wednesday, November 20, 2024 | Brown Teddy Bears Lessons

Lesson #12

Have you recognized many of the rhymes and songs we have used in class this semester? That’s because the Sound Beginnings curriculum primarily consists of American folk songs and chants, nostalgic songs, nursery rhymes, and well-known classical pieces.

Registration for Pink Piggies is open now for my existing Sound Beginnings families and those on my waitlist! Look for a separate email about registration that was sent out last week. Be sure to take advantage of the EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT  so you don't have to pay the $20 registration fee!

Next week we'll sing these in class:

• Weather Bear
• It's Raining
• Echo Edie
• Name the Instruments
• Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around
• Down By the Bay
• The Bear Went Over the Mountain
• March
• Rocky Mountain

Nursery rhymes are much more than entertainment. They introduce idea of storytelling, promote social skills and boost language development. They also lay the foundation for learning to read and spell. Our use of them in class promotes listening to speech patterns and understanding rhyming words. It also provides the chance to interact with peers and parents and is intended to help increase vocabulary and prepare for further literacy skills.

We added the "LA" pitch in "It's Raining" because LA is the next easiest pitch to add to the SOL-MI interval when learning to sing in tune.

Singing songs while playing games that use large motions helps children develop coordination.

Optional home fun activity: Make the Teddy Bear puppet on page 31 in your workbook! Your child will be able to use it in class next week!    
(Remember, these activities are optional but can be a great bonding experience to do with your child during the week.)  

Sometimes it's nice to actually see the instruments playing the songs we hear in class! Here's "March" from the Nutcracker played by an orchestra. If you keep watching, it also has "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" and "Russian Dance," just in time for the holiday season!

Sound Beginnings is education through musical play! It prepares children for success in Kindergarten and Let’s Play Music. Sound beginnings provides research-based elements that stimulate growth in the areas particularly crucial to the development of the young child. These elements make up the foundation of the Sound Beginnings curriculum.  Here is just one:
	Our classes teach intelligent listening and understanding of classical form in a fun and interactive way. Each semester we study the timbre (tam'-ber) of various instruments and our 'smart moves' dances involve the whole body in an enjoyable, classical music experience.

Have a musical day!  
-Ms. Bethany :)