by Rachel | Uncategorized
This isn’t the first time I’ve posted about this book: Down by the Station, by Will Hillenbrand. I wrote briefly about it in reference to a student who has a very strong connection to this particular story, so I thought I’d expand on that today.
I like this book because there are so many opportunities to work on specific objectives, including identifying colors and animals, memory skills, and producing sounds. And of course, it’s fun! I’m currently using it with a small group of kids ranging in age from 1-5, and they all love it. It’s funny to listen to my students imitate the animal sounds – theirs are usually much better than mine! One way to adapt this activity is to have your students come up with additional animals and corresponding sounds…the creativity I see never ceases to amaze me.
by Rachel | Uncategorized
I know we just counted bunnies yesterday, but I had to share this cute book with you that just happens to feature counting, as well. It’s called Ten Little Eggs by Jean Marzollo, and the best thing about this book is the 3-D colored eggs on each page. As the story progresses, a bird hatches from each egg…take a look:
This continues until there are no eggs left, just birds.
I made up a simple little tune to go along with this story, but really anything will do. All of the verses rhyme, which makes it nice and simple. This is the perfect book for my kiddos who are working on counting, because the objects being counted are pretty and tactile.
Oh, and about those bunnies we were counting yesterday…they must read my blog, because yesterday when I looked out my office window, I saw five of them sitting neatly in a row on my lawn. I tried to get a picture of them, but they scampered off too soon. I did manage to get two of them, though:
Too cute! Sometimes I feel like I live in a Disney movie, because my yard is always full of birds, bunnies, and all kinds of other cute little animals :)
by Rachel | Uncategorized
TGIF! This week flew by, and trust me, I don’t say that very often. I guess it didn’t hurt that Monday was a holiday :) Nonetheless, it’s Friday and you know what that means – it’s time for Friday Faves!
I’m often asked what type of equipment I use to record my songs. Since I record so frequently, I needed a home set-up that was simple yet produced good, quality sound. My first step was purchasing a Macbook, which I did back in the summer of 2007. This has by far been a great investment, as I can use it to record, edit, and burn CDs among many other things. GarageBand is the audio program I use, and I am a huge fan. Not only does it have all the capabilities I need, but it is completely user-friendly. I love the drop-and-drag features, and its seamless integration with iTunes. But I couldn’t do much without this beauty right here:
The Blue Snowball Microphone is awesome. It doesn’t take up much space, and all I have to do is plug it into the USB port of my computer and it’s ready to go. No installation, no software. There are three settings to choose from, depending on what type of recording you’re doing and the space in which you’re doing it. I actually have my husband to thank for this discovery, as it was a Christmas gift last year. You can get one for yourself here.
All this talk about recording is making me want to do just that, but it will have to wait. I have a full day of music therapy ahead of me, and lots of work to be done. Have a great Friday!
by Rachel | Resources & Tips
Does this book look familiar? It sure does to most of the little ones I know.
Is Your Mama a Llama? is a favorite both at home and in the classroom, and it has become one of my go-to stories.
It’s easier than you’d think to set a story like this to music. As long as the words rhyme and there is a definitive rhythm to the verses, you can create a melody line that repeats over and over.
I’ve done this with over thirty books, and I’m always looking for more. Sung stories are a great way to entertain students while at the same time working on a slew of skills, including attention to task, following directions, answering “wh” and yes/no questions, identifying objects and colors, and reading.
by Rachel | Uncategorized
See this yellow beauty right here? I have fifteen more where that came from, and it has quickly become my most popular instrument among the students of the Hope Institute. They are a relatively new acquisition; I received them just in time for the Christmas season to be over…they would have been the perfect accompaniment to “Jingle Bells”, “Jingle Bell Rock” and other seasonal favorites. But hey, I’ll take what I can get!
These jingle sticks are a total steal, ringing in (pun intended) at just $3.15 over at West Music. I plan to order several more for my private practice, since I donated the ones I already owned to the Hope collection. What I like best about them is that they are easy to play, only requiring one hand, and they just sound so cheerful. Pair them with a fast-paced song, and in no time you’ll have a roomful of happy kids.
So that is it for this week’s installment of Friday Faves. I have some lofty goals for the weekend, including lots of recording, songwriting, cleaning and packing (my husband and I are moving in a little over a month). I hope your weekend is simply wonderful!
