Blog

It’s not until you no longer have your voice that you realise how much you rely on it as a teacher.

My job requires me to talk and of course sing.  I lost my voice at the end of June 2015, which thankfully was near the end of the summer term so my classes were near an end, but I had videos to create for the new ‘Music Time’ plans that I created.  It only started to get back to normal at the beginning of September; that’s a long time!

I don’t think that I did myself any favours at the start of …

Time for a change this Autumn; are you fed up with the ‘same old same old’?

Do you struggle to think of new activity ideas? Are you fed up of doing the same ideas every Autumn? Well, why not think about the more unusual events that happen during Autumn like ‘Talk like a pirate day’, ‘Hug a bear day’ or even ‘World Food Day’.

Talk like a pirate day

• Maybe get everyone dressing up as a pirate for the day. 
• Make treasure maps - go on a hunt with clues
• Bury treasure in the sand pit.
• Create a…

Are you not quite ready for a 20 minute music time? What about 5 minutes of music each day instead? 

Here are some suggestions for the next week.  Just pick one idea for each day:

Monday

• Pick a nursery rhyme the children know well
• Choose a new simple song to teach the children.  Sing just the first verse to them.  Ask the children to just join in with the missing word at the end of each phrase. e.g. twinkle twinkle little ….. (star)
• Play a piece of music to the children and ask them to m…

'I can’t sing!' 

I hear so many adults saying this to me. I would like you to ask yourself: why am I thinking this? Is it that you struggle to sing along to some songs on the radio, did someone make a comment in the past or maybe you just believe you can’t sing?

The children in your setting want to sing and so they need you as their carer/teacher to teach them new songs and rhymes.  So, whatever the reason you need to overcome that fear and start singing!

What’s stopping you?

Do you love…

Anyone can run a music time; you don’t need to be a musician.  All you need is confidence in yourself! Confidence comes with planning, preparation and practice.

Planning

So, where to start? Plan into your week a 20 or 30 minutes ‘Music Time’, depending on the age of the children, to just do music.  Include in that time song and rhymes; rhythm time on instruments or body percussion; and listening to music.  Also ensure there is an element of movement, whether it be through action rhymes, moveme…

1. Start by choosing songs you already know!

Why?  It will boost your confidence with running a music time. You know the words and tune already so you can just go ahead and teach the song/rhyme!

What? These can be nursery rhymes or well-known children’s songs or rhymes

2. Learn each song/rhyme for a maximum of  5-8 minutes in one sitting!

I have found that children lose interest if you spend longer than 5- 8 minutes learning a song.  It is also the most beneficial in terms of retention of th…