CMF Welcomes Florida, Oklahoma, New York, and Others

Teachers Corner

Here's a message from Sylvie Stewart, a teacher at Ledge Street Elementary in Nashua, New Hampshire:

Our kindergarten students at Ledge Street Elementary School are having great fun with the First Note lessons. They always get particularly excited when we play musical games like "Bee, Bee, Bumble Bee" or the Hopi Indian song/game "Mos, Mos."

I happen to have a stuffed bumble bee and we use this when we play the "Bee, Bee, Bumble Bee" rhyming game. They get particularly thrilled when they realize that it is a variation to the 

"Duck Duck Goose" game. Patting their knees and speaking the rhyme as a student goes around the circle gently tapping each classmate on the head with the stuffed bumble bee helps them to notice when the beat gets unsteady, or goes too slow or too fast. They love calling the middle of the circle the beehive and don't mind at all when they get caught. What keeps me amused is that some students who have no previous experience with the game forget to run around the circle once and plop into the vacated space. They keep running around and around the circle until I remind them to sit in the empty space. It brings a smile to my lips every time. We all end up having a great time together.

When I first read Lesson Plan #6 and listened to the "Mos, Mos" song, I thought that my students would never learn the Hopi Indian words. I had a hard enough time remembering the complicated-sounding second line of the song. My students have put me to shame. I explain the game to them before I teach the song, and they are super motivated to learn the song so they can play the game. They have the song memorized while I am still taking peeks at the words to the song.

What a marvelous selection to have included in your collection! I am always looking for Native American songs to sing in November and this one is going to become a fast favorite I am sure, even with my slightly older students.

From the new Frankie Dance moves to the catchy rhymes and short memorable songs we learn every week, the First Note Program has proved to be an effective curriculum for teaching music to the young learners at my school. Discovering new things to teach my students every week helps make my job easier and classroom management is hardly ever an issue. Many thanks to the folks who have worked so hard to develop First Note. Teaching music to my kindergarten students has become a high point in my day! 

Thank You Fallon and Joel

Thank you Jimmy Fallon and Billy Joel for making it 'cool' to sing....especially for our boys!  (click on the image below)

Billy Joel and Jimmy Fallon Form 2-Man Doo-Wop Group Using iPad App