100 WAYS TO CHOOSE AND REVIEW

1. Musical Measles
2. Snowballs (have children write a song to sing on paper, crumple and throw!)
3. Giant Dice
4. Plinko Game
5. Spin the wheel
6. Name that tune
7. Songs hiding under chairs
8. Songs in apron pockets
9. Bishopbric choice day
10. Conductor training
11. Can you hear me?
12. Memory game on the board
13. Trivia game
14. Stop and Go signs
15. Acapella day!
16. Sing in rounds
17. Sing in styles
18. Magic Wand On/Off
19. Reverent songs
20. Charades
21. Father’s Day - Dads come to primary and pick songs
22. Father’s Day - Photos of Dad’s hands, guess favorite song
23. Mother’s Day - Moms come to primary and pick songs
24. Mother’s Day - Photo of mom as baby, guess favorite song
25. Action song day
26. Prophet songs
27. Guest conductors (one for each song)
28. Remembering last years program songs
29. Go fishing
30. Lights On/Off (stop and go singing piano keeps playing)
31. Stand up and sit down on key words
32. Name that song using 1 of the visual aids
33. Song meter
34. Program songs
35. Bean bag toss
36. Hangman
37. Tic-Tac-Toe
38. Hot and Cold (cardboard note, sing when hot or cold as child searches)
39. Songs search (word search on poster or chalk board)
40. Pin the song on the Piano (have songs taped to back of piano, sing song that gets “pinned”.
41. Musical chairs
42. Stump the chorister
43. Keyword Connection (keys with a word on them, guess the song)
44. Basketball throw (mini basketball hoop)
45. Nerf shoot at numbered target
46. Christmas gifts - unwrap and sing
47. Birthday gifts - unwrap and sing birthday songs
48. Birthday cake - songs on candles
49. Temple photo and name match game, sing temple songs
50. Primary Colors (courage, service, truth)
51. Boys choice day
52. Girls choice day
53. Fill out an acrostic poem using the word PRIMARY
54. Janice Kapp Perry day
55. Use the nursery box
56. Wear pioneer dress
57. Put song page numbers on the board, kids pick a number and you sing that song
58. Make a fun songbook
59. Songs hiding under chairs
60. Pieces of armour (assemble)
61. Assemble a missionary (tag, scriptures, haircut, suit, etc.)
62. Assemble a puzzle picture
63. Assemble a snowman
64. Assemble a Christmas tree
65. Assemble a flag
66. Assemble a pilgrim
67. Assemble Noah’s Ark or add animals to the ark
68. Assemble a garden of flowers
69. Assemble a chapel
70. Songs in a song bag  OR:
71. Songs in a hat
72. Songs in balloons
73. Songs behind the squares (punch through the paper)
74. Songs on valentines
75. Songs on hearts
76. Songs on Shamrocks
77. Songs on flowers
78. Songs on Kites
79. Songs on raindrops under umbrella
80. Songs on birds, help them get to their nests
81. Songs on flags
82. Songs on ants at a picnic, or plastic food items for picnic
83. Songs in a covered wagon or handcart
84. Songs on apples/fruit in a tree
85. Songs on snowflakes
86. Songs on pumpkins
87. Songs on pumpkin parts, make a face!
88. Songs on pilgrims
89. Songs on turkey feathers
90. Songs under nativity figures
91. Songs on a wreath
92. Songs on a Christmas tree
93. Songs in a rocket
94. Songs on ice cream cone and scoops
95. Songs on pioneer items
96. Songs in a quiver of arrows
97. Songs on props (popcorn, gift, etc.)
98. Songs on the back of notes, placed on a staff (draw a staff on the board)
99. Songs on bees around a beehive
100. Take a Mr. Potato head.  Assign songs to eyes, ears, hat, feet, etc. and put him together!

100 ways started as a challenge to see if I could think of 100 ways to choose and review in 10 minutes. I got to about 70. The next thirty took about 24 hours. Make review weeks fun! Choose and Review!

Even 11 year old boys will participate when singing time is fun!

If you want to print this out, you can print it directly from my google doc.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BPeJOERY3GxzItv_FpEGuKfyusnz3kuDdOXXd7R6NY8/edit?usp=sharing

3 Ways to Teach LDS Primary Songs

Three ways to learn, teach and have fun!

When teaching primary songs it's easy to find a favorite way to teach a primary song and then teach all the songs that same way.
Everyone learns differently and it's important to remember that while one child is a visual learner, another might be an auditory learner.  As I look back through my visual aids, it's pretty clear I'm a visual learner.
When teaching primary songs mix up the way you teach them so that during the course of the year you teach at least one song in each of the three ways to make sure you are teaching to all your primary children.

The best way for the children to learn a song is to use a combination of the styles.  By singing the song, regardless of the way you teach the song, the children are already using two parts of their brain instead of one  which will
help them remember it better.

You can find ways to teach primary songs for each of the three learners below.

Visual Learners

Visual learners learn by seeing pictures, reading or watching a demonstration.

1. FLIP Charts
 
Flip Charts can utilize keywords and pictures.  They can also have all the words to a line and/or a picture.  These are great  visual aids, easy to store and fun for the kids to see.

2. Posters
 
Posters were really popular when I was a kid.  I think I learned every primary song taught to me with a poster.  You can make the words nice and big and add pictures as desired.


3. Wordstrips

Wordstrips can be written in chalk on the chalkboard, or  words on a poster.  Erase words as the children repeat the song.



4. Make seasonal songbooks (for senior primary)

If you are singing a bunch of seasonal songs and you know that the children don't have them all memorized songbooks are a great tool. They make the words easy to read, because they are right in front of every child, and they make the children feel more grown up.  We use songbooks when we sing!

Kinesthetic Learners

Tactile learners learn by touching, or hands on activities.  


1. Sign Language or Actions
 
There is a reason kids love the action songs.  They get to move around and sing at the same time.  Sign language and actions will both allow young kinesthetic learners to really learn a song!





2. Have the kids make the visual aids
 
This has always been one of my favorite activities.  I generally ask one or two classes at a time to help with the visual aids.  Each child in the class is given a keyword or short phrase and they draw a picture of it.  They love to see the visual aids they made!





3. Physical items

Kids love to touch the visual aids.  In nursery I let the children pull items out of the box.  An item corresponds to a song.  In primary I can do that as well, and another favorite trick of mine is to pull items out of a bag as the kids sing.  Look at the picture below.  It shouldn't take you long to figure out what the song is just by looking at the props.

 Auditory Learners

Auditory Learners learn by listening.

1. Sing and Repeat

     

I sing out a line, the children repeat.  See my brother there.  He  is listening for the children to repeat the line.  They know he wants a response because his body language shows them that he is listening for their response.

2. Sing Acapella

    

If you take the piano out and sing acapella it's a great way for the kids to hear the melody, and repeat that back to you.

3.   Use the Piano

Before you start to teach a song have the pianist play the song as prelude the week before and the day that you teach the song. Have the piano play a line before you sing it so the children can internalize the music before they sing it.  

HAVE FUN!

Combine these styles together and use these techniques to teach primary songs effectively to everyone in your primary.  Have fun while you teach!  Enjoy it!  The more you enjoy it the more the primary children will enjoy it!

There are lots of ways to teach primary songs.  If you have one to add, I would love to read about it.  Please email me or add it to the comments!

A New Year's Singing Time, Schedule and Singing Time Training

It's the first Sunday of the year!!!  It's so exciting!
A new program theme.
New songs.
New children in primary.  

Wait!

New children in primary!

We all know what that means.  Tears.  Tears.  Tears.  

Then..........some more tears.

The brand new three year old's often panic over being in a new room, with new people and new things to do.  Everything is changed for those children and for them primary is a terrifying new place.  Thankfully singing time really is the answer.

I know how excited you are to teach the first new program song, but don't.  Wait, for just a week.  Today, we need to help our newest class to feel safe and comfortable.  It's time to sing the songs they know and love, so that they recognize that primary is a safe and fun place.  

Whatever they have been singing in nursery, that's what you need to sing today.  For example: sing Give Said the Little Stream, I am a Child of God, Popcorn Popping and all their favorites.  Today is a day for showing them that primary isn't so different from nursery.  Use fun props.  Be excited.  If you can even involve them to help choose or pick a song that would be great.  

These 3 year olds may look at your blankly.  They may look away.  The probably won't sing.  They might repeat some actions.  Be patient.  It may take months for them to sing out, but they will when they are ready.  

Keep singing!  Keep singing songs they love, it will help them feel more comfortable.  The older children often don't get to sing these songs as much as they would like.  They will really enjoy a singing time filled with fun songs like Wheels on the Bus followed by Book of Mormon Stories.  

Then next week it's time to start teaching the new song, but be mindful of these little children.  Transition them gently.  Take time to sing a song or two or three that they know.  They will love you for it, and they will feel a lot more comfortable in primary a lot faster!

20 Minutes for singing time, what should I do? A plan for maximizing effectiveness in singing time.

Structuring your 20 minutes each Sunday to maximize effectiveness.

Enthusiastic Greeting

1 minute or less  

You need to get their attention.  Their minds will be all over the place.  Greet them with enthusiasm, hook their attention so you can sing!  Sing!  SING!

Wiggle Song (or two!)

3 minutes

Maybe they just came from class and are feeling wiggly.  Maybe they just came from Sacrament meeting and they just can't sit still.  Sing a fun song, or two or three and get the wiggles out.  Don't be afraid to sing it in a silly style to make it even more fun!

Practice Song 

9 minutes

Review Songs

5 minutes

This is the time to sing one or two practice songs for the program, or throw in more favorites so the kids continue to pay attention.  Everyone needs a break from singing the same verse of the practice song over and over again!

Practice Song

1 minute

After a short break of review/fun songs sing this weeks practice song one more time.  It lets you know how well they learned what you taught earlier and the parts of the song where the kids are struggling.  This way you know what to focus on next week.

Reverent Song

1 minute

Whether the kids are about to go into sharing time, class or home always end with a reverent song.  The reverent song lets the kids know it's time to settle down and be prepared to pay attention to what is next.

A well organized singing time will have time for 8 to ten songs, even if you are spending ten minutes teaching a song.  Reviewing songs is very important!  It helps reinforce gospel principles, it's fun and it's what singing time is all about!  SINGING!

What if sharing time goes long and I don't have the full 20 minutes?

Not a problem!  You can know exactly what to do by looking at your kids.

Are they super wiggly? 

Wiggle Songs 4 minutes

Practice Song 4 minutes

Review Songs 2 minutes  (probably one song or two short ones)

Reverent Song 1 minute 

Are they being reverent?  

Practice song 5 minutes

Review/fun songs 5 minutes

Reverent song 2 minutes

What if it's important to explain a gospel principle so that teaching the song is more effective?  Where is the time for that?

Sharing time!  If the song of the month (or any song) needs extra time to be explained get with the person doing sharing time that week.  Have sharing time be first.  Talk about the song.  Explain the gospel principles and have the children participate while learning.  Then when it's time to sing, you have time to sing and there was plenty of time to learn about the song as well.

I don't see time for games or activities in your schedule.

Keep the games simple.  If they take too much time, you lose valuable practice and singing time.  Don't let the game be so involved that you don't sing any songs!  When we have a singing time where I will be calling on the children to pick what we sing I usually ask right at the beginning for them to each think of a song, that way they already have a song they want to sing if they are called on.

You don't have to spend all 9 minutes working on the practice song.  Sometimes you only need 5.  Sometimes the kids just need to review the practice songs, and you don't need that time for learning a new song.  That's a great time to throw in a fun game that needs a little extra time.

Well begun is half done!

This is definitely the Mary Poppins in me!

Be organized.  Know what songs you plan to sing for opening song, closing, wiggle songs, birthday songs, and review songs.  It's very helpful to give that list to the pianist so that they can get to the next song quickly.  Take the extra step and write down the page number for them!  You don't want the kids to get restless and stop paying attention because they are waiting for the pianist find the page. Make everything go smoother by being prepared!

Know the songs!  Practice all week, or for several weeks so you know the song you are teaching.  As soon as you pick up your phone to look at the words you've lost the kids and it's really hard to get their attention back.

Watch the kids!  Pay Attention!

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just lose them.  It's sad.  It's heartbreaking.  But you have to continue on.  It's time to abandon the schedule and get them back on track before you can continue with the regularly scheduled activities.

What to do when you have lost control and the primary kids aren't paying attention:  

Action songs - kids can't help but join in.  They love to move around.

Sing it silly - The kids need singing time to be fun.  Pick a wiggle or action song and sing it like a pirate.  You will have their full attention.

Do something drastic.  Have an emergency visual aid handy.  I have reverent glasses.  When I put them on the kids are magically reverent.  Have something that lights up!  Change your location.  Move to the back of the room!

Use your pianist!!! Fall asleep if they sing too quiet and have the pianist wake you up.  Have the pianist play a fanfare if they do a great job, or play some minor chords when they don't sing well.  

Send me an email!  I would love to answer any questions you have and help in any way I can.  All primaries are different!  matildaquilts@gmail.com

My Country Patriotic Primary Song

My Country

This is my country! 
I sing it with pride
Whether it's desert 
sand duned and wide,

  

Mountains with pine trees, 
land iceberg bound.

It's here where my home 
and my loved ones are found.





I put together 8 visual aids to help teach the song.  They each have pictures to show images from the song and all but one shows key words.  I had kids come up and hold the visual aids.  We went through each sign adding that part of the song and singing it.  After each time we sang the song, the children would go pick someone who had not had a turn to come to the front and hold the sign.  
They also had to put themselves in the correct order.
 

I taped sticks to the back so that the kids can hold them up. 
When you are looking at visual aids from the back it's hard to tell what they are.  I always number them so I know they are in the right order, and I often have the words back there to remind me which visual aid goes with which words.
These took an afternoon to make.  They would also be great using photos or drawings.  Imagine a photo of pine trees on a mountain or a real desert.  Those would be just as fabulous.  In fact I wish I had thought of it first!

Primary Singing Time Trivia

 Question:  In the song "Our Primary Colors"  what does red stand for?

Answer:  courage to do what is right

 
Early Sunday morning I was packing my bag for church.  I am teaching a new song!  My daughter instantly complained......"Mom, you can't just teach a song!  You have to play a game!"  (please insert whiny voice).

A game!  

I spend all week getting ready for the song and now I need a game!?!?

Okay, I think to myself, I can do this. 
So I go to the living room and close my eyes and think of a game.  A trivia game!  I grab some paper and start writing and the trivia game is born!
During singing time I asked one class a question.  If they answered correctly they picked the song, if not, then we reviewed a program song. 
I also thought it would be fun if I had some bells like you see on the counter of businesses so that we could play "Family Feud" style and have two kids vie for the right answer.  But alas this is one of those marvelous ideas  that come too late to do the same day.

I've included the trivia game as a Google doc here.  I hope you enjoy the questions as much as I have enjoyed writing them, and as much as my family, friends and primary kids have enjoyed trying to answer.  I was blown away by the knowledge the primary kids had, even when I was sure they wouldn't know the answer.  Smart kids!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1doRkpzG6Guj9WrN5mnfCnCepHr1BxwKfXZgjkOeYe6o/edit

Baptism #100

 One of the 2014 program songs is a personal favorite.  I love this song!  For some reason kids seem to be attached to the "rainbow song" but for kids in my generation this was the song.  This song, written by Mabel Jones Gabbott and Crawford Gates was THE baptism song.  We used this version, from the orange Sing with Me primary book.  It's in a different key than the one  you find in the newer book but if you have a pianist that can play it, I highly recommend it.

 I have visual aids that I made for this song, which you can find by going here:

 http://primarysingingtimewithmatilda.blogspot.com/2009/05/baptism.html

I don't have these to scan and put up for you.  Sadly, they have been misplaced. 

One young lady from senior primary said:

"I DON'T LIKE THIS SONG!"

I almost never stop during singing time to do a sharing time. Actually in all the years I've ever done singing time I've only done this once.  (Sharing time is for sharing time and singing time is for singing).  I stopped to talk to the primary about this song.  I talked about how important it is.  How they can learn about the principle of baptism from this song.  If anyone ever asks them why we are baptized they have the words of this song to give them the answer.  And!  I said if you learn this song you will always KNOW the answer to any question about baptism.  They won't even have to think about it, the answer is easy.  Just think of the song.  So many primary songs convey important gospel principles once learned they provide information, answers and direction for life.