DIRECTIONAL SINGING BIRDS

I like to use different aids to help direct the children in WHO will be singing and/or HOW we will be singing. I call these my Directional Singing Aids. Of course, with birds known for their singing and my last name being BIRD, I would be amiss if I didn't have some directional singing aid that wasn't bird related. So, one such aid I have created is my Directional Singing Birds. I have different bird signs that either show WHO can sing as well as HOW we should "sing".  


These are fun & easy to use whenever you need to help teach the melody of the song or sing a song over and over and over again. I've made two sizes that I use in different ways and have included the files below, but the smaller size might just be fine if you have a smaller Primary and only want to do one size.


The full, paper-sized sheets are laminated and then each mounted on a paint stirring stick. You could mount each individually on a stick or if you want, do two per stick, back-to-back keeping the "Who" birds grouped together and the "How" birds grouped together. That is what I did, but with the "Sing" and the "Hum" on their own sticks since I didn't have another one to group with each of those and besides, if I come up with another "Who" or "How" bird, I can add it to the back of those; but you could even put the hum and sing together on one stick. You may want to separate the girls and boys signs in case you want to hold up both for both to sing or you could just hold up the sing for both boys and girls. Instead of laminating, you could just put them in sheet protectors and hold them up. You only need to print one set of these larger birds

I will switch between two or more birds while we sing only using the WHO and other times only using the HOW. But then sometimes I may hold up a WHO and a HOW at the same time and switch them out while they are singing to make it a little trickier. This is a little easier to do if you only use one in each hand. It can be a little more trickier if you try to switch between several. To use more birds, an easier way is with the smaller size and posting them on the board as I'll explain below.

For the smaller size (2-per page file), print one or two sets of the birds except the Sing Bird. Print several of the Sing Birds so you have more opportunities to sing all together and maybe even a couple of extra of the "girls" and "boys" cards.  Cut around each leaving about a 1/4" border, laminate them and then adhere magnetic tape on the back side at the top and bottom. 

To use, post the flip chart to the song you will be teaching/reviewing (I use my magnetic page protectors on the board. See here for the post on how I make my magnetic page protectors for flip charts.) Have some children each pick a bird card that you have face down and fanned out like cards in your hands or in a stack on the table or displayed on the chalkboard rail. Then have each child place the one they picked under one of the flip chart pages and then sing the phrase, phrases, verse or the whole song in the order of the "Birds." After singing it through, continue to repeat the process until the time is up for that activity. 

Example of using just "WHO" sings birds

Example of using a mix of "WHO" & "HOW" birds.

You could also remove all the "Sing" birds from the draw pile keeping them separate and then only have a few children, depending on how many flip chart pages you have up, each pick a card and put up on the board under any flip chart page and then you fill in the rest with the "Sing" bird cards.

Another way to use these are like flash cards. Hold the "shuffled" stack in your hands face out to the children with the "Sing" card first, start singing and as you sing the song, every now and then, move the front card to the back and the next card up is who or how they will continue to sing the song. This keeps it fun and they have to concentrate a little since they don't know what will come up next and if they are "Ahhhhhing" and then a "Sing" card comes up, they will need to pick up singing the words from that point on. 

I will be using some of the birds in helping the children learn the new melody I will be teaching for the song

"The Wise Man and the Foolish Man". 

I will be posting my ideas for that song next if you are interested.


Have fun singing like birds!!!

Bird Directional Singing Signs-Large-Nalani
Bird Directional Singing Signs-2-Per Pg-Nalani

RIBBON WANDS: HOW TO MAKE

Late Posting Disclaimer: I typed this post up a couple of weeks ago and just plumb forgot to finish editing it and posting it on the blog, so although I talk about ribbon wands in conjunction with May's song below, ribbon wands can be used for just about any song any time.

Of course it is time to talk about

ribbon wands

because May's song,

"When I Am Baptized"

is just

SCREAMING

 for my rainbow ribbon wands

to be used.

Ribbon wands can be an investment in time and money depending on how many you make, but if you can swing it, you won't regret it. The children just loooooooooove using these. They never tire from them. They are great for teaching and feeling the melody of the music. The kiddos get plenty of movement to keep those wiggle worms at bay...and of course, you will certainly get your exercise in for the day. By-the-by, do any of you feel like you've just finished your workout at the gym after you get home from church??? I'm sure I would be in much better shape if I did my "Primary Workout" on a daily basis instead of once a week!


Anywhoooooo, I made my ribbon wands a couple of years ago and use them at least a few times a year. The kids would probably love it if I would use them more often, but there are always so many other things I want to try and do. These are great for nursery too! I first introduce the ribbon wands in Primary after we did the program. It was a great, fun way to release all those wiggles they had held inside of them from sitting so well in Sacrament meeting and it was an easy singing time just singing fun songs and taking turns following the leader in twirling the wands. I've done this for the last two programs and plan on using them again this year, so I guess it has become a tradition.


Ribbon wands are easy to make, but will take a little time to put together if you plan on making quite a few. There are a variety of ways to make them, but this is how I made mine.


ITEMS NEEDED PER RIBBON WAND

• 12" long (I think the diameter I used is about 1/4")  (a 4' dowel will give you 4-12" ribbon wands)
• Small eye hook
• Small fishing swivel
• 36" long double-sided satin ribbon x 1" wide (I did my ribbon 1 1/4" wide x 86" long for the wand I would use because it is just cool to see how a full-length one works. Don't make the children's too long because they would be too difficult for the little ones to use.)
• Scissors
• Saw to cut the dowels or have them cut at the hardware store, but they may charge per cut.
• Drill and drill bit smaller than the eye hook screw or a big headed push pin
• 2 Pliers
• Sand Paper
• Thin blade screw driver 
• Lighter or lit candle (no, this is not to help set the mood)
• Spray paint (optional)

HOW TO MAKE A RIBBON WAND

1. Cut the dowels into 12" lengths.
2. Sand smooth the cut ends and any other areas that are rough. Don't want any slivers.
3. Drill or use a push pin to start a hole to screw in the eye hook. If you use a drill, be very careful in holding the stick so you don't slip and hurt yourself with the drill. You may also want to put a piece of tape around the drill bit to help mark how deep you drill to in the stick. Make sure the drill bit you use is thinner than the screw part on the eye hook so that the screw "bites" into the wood when it is screwed in.
4. If you want, you could paint your dowel. I decided not to because I didn't have the time and I figured over time the paint would start to chip off making them look less attractive. But that's your call.
5. With one plier in one hand grip one side of the eye hook and with the other plier in your other hand, grab the opposite side of the eye hook and slightly pry open by bringing one hand towards you and the opposite hand away from you to open the eye hook wide enough so you can hook on the fishing swivel then close the eye hook back up. Don't try to pry the hook open in a split fashion. It is much harder to close if you do. Hope that is clear as mud.
6. Screw in the eye hook and fishing swivel combo into the hole in the dowel. To help save on your fingers, use the thin blade screw driver to slip into the eye hook hole as leverage to help twist the screw in or use your pliers.
7. Thread one end of the ribbon through the other end of the fishing swivel.
8. Tie a double knot on the end of the ribbon so it won't pull through the fishing swivel. I did not tie a knot directly to the fishing swivel's loop because it didn't seem to swivel as well, it looked a little more bulky and it was harder to tie a knot on the swivel without ending up with a long tail.
9. With the lighter or lit candle, carefully melt the edges of the ribbon to help prevent fraying.
10. Voilà! Now you have a fantastical ribbon wand.

Here are a couple of other quick ribbon wand variations.

• You could use thinner ribbon such as 1/4" wide double-satin ribbon in different colors. Decide on the length you want and double that measurement. Cut 2 or more ribbons in that length. Thread the ribbons through the eye hook (depending on your ribbon width, you may want a bigger eye hook). Even out the ribbons so your eye hook is in the middle of the ribbons. Tie the ribbons in a double knot. Seal the cut edges from fraying and you are good to go. You could add a swivel if you want the ribbon to swirl better.

• A less expensive way is to use 6-7 36" strips of curling ribbon and glue it on the tongue depressor sized craft sticks. Then glue some ribbon around the area where you have glued to help give it a finished look and extra holding power. I have several colors of curling ribbon on large spools that I bought a long time ago from an Xpedx store that I use for gift wrapping. There is a lot of ribbon on those spools that have lasted me for years. Use just one color or several colors. This size is great for those little nursery hands.

I'm sure you could probably find a variety of other ways to make ribbon wands on the internet as well as you can purchase them off the internet, but they can get quite pricey.

Later I will post ways to use ribbon wands along with cheat sheets for different pattern movements to help you in choreographing your songs.

RHYTHM STICKS OR CLAVES

Kids love rhythm sticks or claves (Klay-Vays—African/Latin) probably because they make loud noises and they get to bang them together.  Hey, when it comes to kids, it doesn't get much better than that especially when it comes to instruments.  Songs with an upbeat tempo such as “Choose the Right” and “Follow the Prophet” are great for using rhythm sticks.

You will need two sticks per child.  If you don't have enough, you can take turns by class.  You can purchase rhythm sticks for around  $2 and up a set.  Here are a couple of places on the Internet you can purchase them from: Front Row Experience and Amazon.  There are other various versions of the sticks as well. Purchasing rhythm sticks can be a bit costly though.  

If you don’t have a Primary budget for it, here are some options.

• You can make your own by purchasing 5/8” diameter dowels and cutting them into 8”-12” lengths.  You could fancy them up by painting them or keep them au naturel.  To even save more on the cost, you could go with a smaller diameter, but they won’t make as loud of a noise, which could be good or bad depending on how you look at it.
• You can also make them from ½” - 1” diameter PVC pipe
• You could buy pencils, especially during the back-to-school sale time.  Because of the size, the pencils will not make as loud of a sound.  Is that good? Bad?  Like I said before . . . your preference.  Oh yeah, don’t sharpen the pencils.
• Check out your local Chinese specialty grocery store and get some inexpensive wooden Chinese chopsticks, the ones with the blunt tips, not the Japanese ones with the more pointed tips. They usually have fairly inexpensive ones.  You could even collect those cheap disposable ones for free from the restaurants whenever you go and eat Chinese.  Just go out with a bunch of family or friends and have them all ask for a set, of course, wash them well after eating with them.  Cut off the tips and sand down if they are still a little too pointy. The best ones are the ones that you don't have to pull apart, but if that is all you can find, then make sure you sand down the rough edges where they are torn apart.  Maybe if you ask nicely, the restaurant will give you extra ones for free or for a nominal charge.  They aren't very expensive for the restaurants when they buy them in bulk—usually a few cents each or you can probably buy some in bulk off the internet for $5 or less for a set of 100. 

• You could check with your stake to see if they have some rhythm sticks that you can borrow.  If not, maybe you could suggest to the stake music leader to purchase some that can be shared with the wards in the stake.
• If you know someone that works at a school, you could borrow from there.  I’m fortunate to have a sister who works in a school that I am able to borrow the sticks from about 2-3 times a year. 

If you have never used rhythm sticks before, introduce them first by showing the children how they are tapped together to make a sound.  Explain that when the music is played or you sing the song, rhythm sticks are tapped together to the beat of the music (# of beats in a measure or can also be the tempo) or the rhythm of the music (sounds and silences in the music with differing lengths or gaps between them—basically the patterns of the notes/words being sung).

Before passing out the rhythm sticks, you must make sure you have made clear your expectations regarding the use of them.  I always explain that I know that they will treat the sticks nicely, that they will make sure they don’t poke, hit or hurt others with them, that they know stick fighting with them is not right (yep, all those boys I have), that they will keep them out of their mouth and when I say “sticks up” or have my sticks pointing upward, they must also have their sticks up and quiet.  Also let them know that if they choose to not follow the rules that the consequence will be to have their sticks taken away from them.  And most importantly, you must follow through if any children do not behave properly.  You can always return them to the child after a short time has passed with the reminder that they will be taken away again if they choose to not use the sticks right.  Setting the ground rules up front is a real important step to remember to do with anything you hand out to the children to use so that you can keep some semblance of order. 

WARNING!  This activity can be real fun for the children, but it can also get out of control if you don’t maintain control of the group.  Does it always go reverently—quietly?  Of course not, but having the guidelines and following through helps a lot.  Also, there will be some noise with the sticks hitting together, which is part of the experience, so, as an adult, if you are a bit sensitive to noises, rhythm instruments may not be for you or just use smaller diameter sticks. Yes, this is one time that Boyd K. Packer's quote of "Reverence . . .does not equate with absolute silence" will be generously utilized.

Here are some suggestions on how to use them:

• Have them tap the sticks together only on certain parts or words of the song.
• March around the room as you play the sticks.  This is mainly for JR.
• Sit on the floor in a circle or in a group and tap the sticks on the floor in front 4 times then tap sticks together 4 times. Repeat.  Add another tapping version to the mix, such as 4 taps above the head, after they have mastered the pattern taught.
• They can be played with a partner similar to hand clapping patterns I have explained in the "Books in the Book of Mormon" post here. (Scroll down to the bullet points.) This is usually too complicated for JR.
• Use the dynamics in the song to direct how to play the sticks; loud vs soft, staccato vs legato.
• After doing a few basic movements with the sticks, ask the children if they can think of a different way the rhythm sticks can be tapped together.  E.g. above the head, down low to the ground, behind your back, on the left side, on the right side, on the floor in front of you, on the floor to the right, left or either side of the legs, on the lap, on the shoulders, with a partner, turn then tap, kick a leg forward then tap, stomp-stomp-tap-tap, step to the left-tap, step to the right-tap, oh, the list could go on and on.  Oh yes, you can get a good workout from this!

As you can see, playing rhythm sticks is not only fun, but they are also great for reviewing a song over and over, teaching the rhythm and beat of a song as well as the children are able to use movement in their singing.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT: Melody Map

2/5/12 UPDATE: Because of the unexpected high traffic volume this weekend, the current links to the melody map and pictures are temporarily out of order.  They should be back up in a day or two.  I have added other links just below.  Remember, the files may take some time to download depending on your internet speed.


Melody Map
Melody Map Pictures  (I would suggest to click on the "Download original" button for better resolution pictures instead of printing directly from the first screen.)


WOW!  This week is going by at a rapid pace.  I can’t believe it is February already.  Didn’t we just have Christmas?????  Well, I’m a little behind schedule on things, but here it is, the melody map for “Choose the Right”.  It was a little bit of a bugger—such a BIG song to replicate in a melody chart format.  The first melody map I posted, “As a Child of God” was a basic melody map.  I thought on this one I would show a more in-depth version.  I wasn't planning on doing a melody map this month since I did one last month, but after looking over the song, I realized this song lends itself nicely to a melody map with it's "rolling hill" pattern.  So, here goes again but with a little variation on the activities we'll do.

On this melody map, you will notice that there are different colors and sizes of the CTR shield, each representing a different type of note, e.g. whole, half, quarter, etc.  I also added a line connecting the “notes” to help more visually show the movement of the notes.  I’ve also included some pictures and words here if you want to use them as an addition to the map.  You don’t have to use all of them.  Use what you feel you want to teach or emphasize in the song.  I just wanted to include a good variety for all three verses.  Click here for the explanation I gave on melody maps last month as well as some suggestions for use.   

I always ask what they notice about the map and receive their responses.  If they are slow on the uptake, ask more questions to help get their thinking going, such as:

• What is the same in these patterns?
• What is different in these patterns?
• [some shields are the same color, there are different sizes of shields, each color is the same size, the shapes go up and down like mountains, there is a dip or valley in this part, there are more orange shields than any other color, there are less blue shields than any other color, there are 11 big purple shields, etc.]

Continue to encourage the children to look for more relationships if they aren’t picking them up by saying “What else?” or “What more can you see?” (If this is new to your children, they may be hesitant at first but will start picking things up with some extra encouragement. The children happily surprised me the very first time I used a melody map--they can be very perceptive.)

Ask the children to listen to you sing the song and tell you what all the "note" shapes have to do with the song. 

• The small blue shields are the shortest notes.
• The big purple shields are the longest notes.
• Essentially, the smaller the shield the shorter the note.

You could put just the pics that say "CTR" on the chart at first and see if they notice that is where you sing the words “Choose the Right”.

Remember, you may have to sing the song 2-3 times before the children discover all or most of the relationships, but that is good because that gives the children a chance to hear the song a few times to become familiar with it.  You can also give hints by pointing as you sing or singing louder on the certain words or areas you want them to notice.

Sing it again and ask the children to sing only the words “Choose the Right” with you. 

Learn the phrases by showing a picture or two and asking the children to listen to see where on the map the pictures should go.  Let the child that answers correctly come and place the picture on the map.  (I am planning on taking a little folding stepladder—2-3 steps—so the JR children can climb up and put it up themselves.  They like that and it saves my back from picking them up.  Maybe you could point out that they are stepping up the ladder and down just like the song.)  Then have them sing it with you.

A few other examples of singing discovery questions you can ask are:

• This picture or word(s) goes where it looks like it is going down a slide.  Listen and tell me which slide it goes on. [various answers like shining, heart confides, etc.]
• What two words begin on the highest note in this 2nd phrase and then slides down? [“Holy Spirit”]
• This word "Evermore" is sung on three different notes in this last phrase. What are the three notes it is sung on?  [the very last three notes] Is it going up or down when we sing it? [down]
• Did you notice a couple of places that the song dips down?  Listen and tell me what words are sung in those dips. [Wisdom and God]
• Do any sections/parts of this map look exactly the same? [1st and 3rd phrase]

Other Suggestions

• Explain the pictures as you go and how they relate to the message of the song.
• Have them clap the rhythm pattern with you.
• Use rhythm sticks to tap out the rhythm or only when they sing the “Choose the Right” words. (I’m planning on using rhythm sticks.  I borrowed them from my sister’s school where she works, but dowels or unsharpened pencils are inexpensive alternatives—and much quieter.)
• Use the CTR shields to pitch lead or just have them hold them up on the words “Right”.
• Have them also stand up when they sing the words “you” or “your”.  (I just thought of something, maybe I should have made a few more "you" pics to place on the map or at least the word "you" and "your".  Maybe I will try and add some to the file and repost the pics Friday night.  If not, Oh, well.)
• Have them use their bodies to pitch lead raising themselves higher as they sing higher and lowering their bodies as they sing lower.
• When you have sung it with them a few times you could sing the first half of the phrase and then have them finish the phrase.  Point out that you are singing the parts going up the mountain and they are singing the parts going down the mountain.
• Don't forget to share your testimony of the message.

I often try and use a variety of activities to keep them interested before they get bored otherwise I could lose their attention.  Children learn by repetition, but they also need variety—sounds like an oxymoron to me.  So, you may sing the song over-and-over again (repetition), but by using different methods as you sing (variety), it helps to keep the children engaged as well as you are sure to capture the different learning styles the various children may have.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE MELODY MAP (Also see post for "As a Child of God" melody map and above pic for reference)

• I think this should print in the order of the song this time.
• Cut off about 1/2" on the letter side (the letters are only for reference in making the chart) and cut off about the same on the other side depending on the minimum settings your printer needs for margins, being careful to not cut off any of the shields. 
• Tape them together leaving a slight gap between pages for easier folding.  
• The last four rows on the map are for the chorus.  I put each of the two sections together to make two rows or "stanzas" for the chorus by cutting pretty close to the shield on the right section and then lining it up to the left side and making a tick mark for where I needed to cut (where it looked good for the black line coming into the right side—part of the black line you will cut off.) You could take a black marker to help better connect the black line if you want.  
• Oooo, is this all confusing?    
• So each phrase will be three pages and both sections of the chorus will have 5 pages each with the second page of each for the chorus a smaller width size as well as the third page will be slightly smaller. Look at the picture above for reference.  There will also be 2 blank pages that will print out, but you don't need those.  Just part of the "poster" effect.  Don't forget to number the backside so you know which order to put them up on your board.

AS A CHILD OF GOD: Melody Map

I have on occasion used a melody map to help reinforce the melody of a song either when I introduce a new song or on a repeat week in teaching the song.  Getting children to pay attention to the music seems to help them learn the words to the song faster.  Don’t you find that when you are listening to music at times the music itself captures you and you will listen to it before you will really pay attention to the words of the song?  I know I will listen to the melody of a song over and over before I will start to sing it.  That is one way children learn music.  Understanding the melody helps us to understand how the words relate to it.

SO WHAT IS A MELODY MAP?  It is just a simple way of using shapes, lines or symbols to visually represent the ups and downs and rhythms of how a melody moves in a song.  Although most children in Primary probably don’t read music, a melody map can help them visually understand how musical sounds can be written.  In a sense, they are not just hearing the melody, but also visually putting the melody in their head.

Here is a melody map of “As a Child of God”.  The song is divided into four phrases and there are 3 sheets to each phrase and they are color-coded.  I printed mine on card stock but you can print on regular paper if you prefer.  There are letters along the left side of each page in the file.  Those were just for references in placement of the shield "notes" when I was creating the melody chart.  Cut them off, about ½” on the left side of each page and about 1 1/2" inch off the bottom of each page so each page is about 7” x 10 ½ ” (it will depend on how much margin your printer will require, so adjust how much you cut off accordingly) and then tape the three pages of a phrase together leaving a slight space between the pages so you can fold them for easier storage at the taped sections.  You don't have to cut off the bottom section but I did just to give me a little more room to display on our chalkboard.  You don’t necessarily have to tape them together either.  You could just display them in order.   I would suggest writing a number on the back corner of each phrase section in the order they are sung to help you know the order to put them up.  Very helpful if you ever drop them and they get mixed up.  Not that it has EVER happened to me before.

I’ve also linked a file for a smaller version of the pictures from my flip chart that can be used with the melody map if you like, but you can use the melody map by itself.  I laminated the pictures and put a magnet on the back of each to make it easier to put up and remove.  There are also a few more of the small pictures than in the FC because I did add a couple more for the chorus to put up on the melody chart because it just looked a little bare naked with one picture; added the girl for "As a child of God" and a CTR shield for the end of the song.  There are a couple more CTR shields and another child I just threw in there to fill up space and in case I wanted to use them for something else, so you could ignore them or use them.

Here are some melody map suggestions for use:

• Explain that each CTR shield represents a word or part of a word we sing in the song.
• Hold one of the pictures above the first shield (“note”) on the map and as you sing move it over each “note” of the song.  Have the children clap when you come to the “note” that the picture should go on then place the picture over that “note”.  Continue on with each picture. 
• Have the children look at the pictures you posted off to the side of the melody map and then listen to the song and put some of the pictures above the “note” in the right order as they come up in a song. Repeat until you have all the pictures up.
• You could mix the melody map up and have a child number them 1-4 in order on the chalkboard next to each.  I have those magnetic letters and numbers that children play with that I use now and again for different activities.  You could use the magnetic numbers to help put in order instead of writing with chalk.
• If you didn’t tape the phrase sections together, you could have a child put a phrase together in order.  For SR, that can become pretty easy after the first couple of times so have them try to put two or more phrases together before you finish singing the song.
• You could have the children use their finger or hand to draw the movement of the “notes” in the air as they sing.
• The children could pitch lead with their hand going up and down with the “notes” or from left to right starting back on the left side for each phrase just like the melody map.  I used a CTR shield on a stick that I made for each child to pitch lead with.  I’m planning on using these for other activities throughout the year.  Stay tuned and I’ll try and post those tomorrow.  They come in some fun colors to "choose" from!

You could use directed listening questions to get them thinking about the relationship the “notes” have with the song as you sing.  Here are some general questions to ask when using melody maps or make up your own.  The questions to use depend on how you did the melody map. (Not all of these questions apply to this particular melody map.)  Use the ones that apply for the given melody map you use.  For the questions that need to be answered by pointing, I have a finger pointer on a stick that they can come up and point with.  After some of the questions, you could sing that part to show them how it relates, for example, have them listen to see if it sounds like it is going down a slide.

• What do you notice about this melody map?
• What is the same?
• What is different?
• What do these shapes have to do with the song? Sing the song.
• Show a pattern on the melody map.  Do you see another pattern that looks or almost looks like it?
• Where on the map do we hold a note longer than the rest?
• Where do we sing the highest or lowest?
• Which ones look like we are climbing up stairs or mountains?
• Which ones look like a slide?

This melody map is color coded by phrase.  It is NOT colored coded for the type of note being sung, e.g. whole note verse quarter note, etc.  That is a version I have made before but did not do it on this one.  Here are a few questions to ask if the melody map being used has color-coded “notes”.

• What do you think this one stands for? (Could color-code each type of note)
• Which ones do we hold the note longer for?
• Which ones do we sing quickly?

 As you can see, there are many things that you can do with a melody map.  Always be patient if your children are not use to thinking through songs.  In teaching the children to sing, there is more than just cramming the words into their little brains to memorize for the program.  It is about understanding and feeling the music along with the gospel message the song brings.