teaching to a tune

Using music in the classroom is such a powerful teaching tool.

Before I share some of your fantastic ideas, I wanted to share my greatest musical resource.

Have you ever tried Heidi Songs with your students?

It comes in a DVD and CD form. I own the DVD and love it.

My students are crazy about these songs!

Their favorites are Yellow, Black, She, Who, Come, Jump, We're... just to name a few.

There is a song and dance to each sight word and they are easy to learn.

All of the songs are great to get your students up and moving!

It makes me think of that old chinese proverb...

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

We need to get our students up and moving!

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Can I just say... Oh my WOW?! You guys came up with some great ideas!

Jodi at Fun in First just posted some great money songs (good timing Jodi)! Check them out here.

Dee Dee at Mrs. Willis Kindergarten posted about a darling calendar time sing-along. Click here to see!

You also need to check out Dee Dee's cute ideas for teaching word families with songs by clicking here.

Cheryl at Primary Graffiti did a great post about using Sam Jones' music in her classroom. Click here.

Check out this great post by Third Grade Teacher, Miss Diss by clicking here.

I love Ms. M's Vowel Bingo Song:

5 vowels in the alphabet,
I know them all by name.
A, E, I, O, U
A, E, I, O, U
A, E, I, O, U
I know them all by name, OH

(In my version we end by saying... and sometimes "Y")

Cute Kelsey, a reader, said, "I play an awesome game, 'Musical Squares'. Our group activity carpet is a covered in rows of colored squares. Probably 9x6. For this game I ask children to stand on the perimeter of the carpet (1 sqaure per child). I play music, preferably something fun-they love like 'Who Let the Dogs Out' and any sort of mother goose rap song on CD. I allow the children to walk/dance as they walk around the perimeter of the carpet. When I pause the music, the children have to sit in a square closest to them, the last child standing with out thier own square will have to answer a question based upon the subject. I used vocabulary words recently for a reading lesson-the words were on the board and I would say, 'which word means _____'. The kids loved it and I got a kick out of their dance moves! We play it in math and phonics as well!"

Teacher Laura had a great way to get your students ready and listening. She said, "I sing...If you're ready and you know it clap your hands...If you're ready and you know it clap your hands. If you're ready and you know it, then I know that you can show it - if you're ready and you know it, clap your hands. I change it to tap your nose, or stomp

your feet depending on what kind of energy I'm aiming for in the classroom."

BTW, Teacher Laura also has a great post about transitioning with songs.

You need to check it out here (Thanks Nicole for letting me know)!

Teacher Mum did a post about using music to ease her classroom transitions. She has a great list of classical music and after reading her post, I definitely want to try this with my kiddos!

I love how Teresa, a reader, said, "the most powerful way that I use music is as an attention getter. In those moments when I am about to 'lose my mind' because no one is listening, I usually burst into a silly song - it ALWAYS makes then stop what they're doing and listen. Music is a powerful tool, and so much fun too!"

I love this idea-- I am going to try it. Maybe I should record their reactions?