1st Grade Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Make Moments Matter

Using your classroom pointer for evaluation, critical thinking, and more!

November 26, 2014

Perfect Pointer Pointers

Classroom Ideas

A few years ago I purchased one of those classroom pointers that every teacher seems to have (little pointing hand on a stick) when the book fair came through my school. The following year I bought another one because it had cooler colors and was just generally awesome. The problem […]

November 1, 2014

If You’re Happy and You Know It!

Lesson Ideas

“If You’re Happy and You Know It” is a classic children’s folk song and is so wonderful for so many reasons. It gives you a chance to talk about improvising new lyrics and coming up with variations. It gives you a chance to define the word “lyics.” It allow […]

Beanie Buddies - Great for steady beat, rhythm practice, and more!

October 18, 2014

Beanie Buddies – Great for K-1

Lesson Ideas

In my Orff Level I training we came across a couple fun activities for Beanie Babies that got my brain spinning and thinking about what could be done with those little critters. Probably a lot of you already use beanie babies or stuffed animals for a variety of things. In […]

September 1, 2014

The Master Sticker

Classroom Ideas

The “Master Sticker” is a little trick that I happened upon one day when working with my younger kids. I was pulling the classic “I’m watching and listening and I’m going to give stickers to the kids who I think are really following directions and singing so well!” We’ve all […]

April 18, 2014

Loving the Line – Tricks for Lining Up

Classroom Ideas

Does it ever feel like the last 3 minutes of class can be the craziest? You get students all settled down where they’re learning and following directions with no problems and the second you mention the words “line up” they turn into a herd of cats. Line up time doesn’t […]

Assessment, positive reinforcement, and one-on-one instruction all rolled into one fun trick!

April 8, 2014

Sticker Attack!

Classroom Ideas

This little teacher trick came from one of those crazy moments when you just do something crazy, go with it, and see where it leads. I had a kindergarten class show up at my door one day and they desperately needed something special to get them to pay attention and […]

The Leprechaun Song - Great for improvisation with primary grades.

March 13, 2014

I Caught a Leprechaun – New Fun Song!

Lesson Ideas

BI’ve made a podcast episode about this blog post. Check it out on iTunes or wherever you download podcasts! You can also listen to the podcast on the web through this link. Every year I tell my K-1 students about the Leprechaun that keeps showing up in my room. I […]

Film Friday - Teaching steady beat with the band Mates of State.

February 21, 2014

Ball Pit Beats with Mates of State

Lesson Ideas

I love using popular musical genres to help teach classroom concepts. Kids zero in when you pull up YouTube and get so excited to see real, live musicians performing right in front of them. Why not use a engaging medium (music videos/YouTube) to reinforce the very thing you’re teaching […]

February 10, 2014

Awesome Apps for the Music Room to teach High vs. Low Sounds

Classroom Ideas

I thought I’d share a few of my favorite music apps to use in your classroom that teach high/low and relate to teaching notes of the staff. So many teachers these days have iPads, iPods, or use their iPhones for classroom purposes. There are a lot of apps with relevance for […]

Here's a new song you can use with your primary grades and ideas about how to build a concert around it.

February 3, 2014

Love Bugs – A New Valentine’s Day Song and Program!

Lesson Ideas

I had an upcoming Valentine’s Day concert with my Kindergarten kiddos and needed a perfect song to tie everything together. I did a little brainstorming, sat down at the piano, and came up with a silly little Valentine’s Day Song called “Love Bugs!” I knew I just had to share […]

This song is a great way to teach body vocabulary and lots more with primary kids!

January 9, 2014

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes as an ELL Tool

Lesson Ideas

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes is a classic song that many, many students learn early on in life. Lots of you folks are lucky enough to have this taught at home or in your preschools so that students come in knowing the familiar tune and words. For many teachers, teaching […]

Click here to learn how to make your very own yarn ball. It's perfect for rhythm passing games, movement, and lots more!

January 6, 2014

DIY Yarn Ball – The Perfect Classroom Tool

Classroom Ideas

I discovered the large Yarn Ball this summer when I took my Orff Level One coursework at Baker University. IT IS AMAZING! Thank you Dena Byers for using/showing me this tool and Jennifer Donovan for teaching me how to make it! It’s a fuzzy poof ball that can be used […]