Fall Montessori- Preschoolers

Oh, Boy!  Our Preschool group has been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!  We are in a very fun unit all about the changing WEATHER!  Using weather as our theme, we can talk about SO many musical concepts.  Loud and Soft (Dynamics), High and Low (Pitch and Intervals), and Slow and Fast (Tempo).  

MORNING
We started our unit talking about morning routines, and how what they see out their window in the morning can give them a hint as to what the weather might be for that day.  This silly song about the morning sun rising and a rooster starting the day with a cock-a-doodle doo was a lot of fun.  It is called Kukuriku, and we got to work on our singing voices as well as act like a rooster.   There is something about acting silly that these kids just really LOVE!

Want to hear a sample of our Kukuriku song?  CLICK HERE: "Morning Sun Has Risen" Sample

When the sun is out, there is so much to do out side.  When the wind comes, it usually brings about a change in the weather!

Here we pretend to be leaves in the wind....
Click here to hear our Leaves in the Wind song:  "Leaves in the Wind" Sample

The wind has brought with it a rain cloud!  This has been the focus of the last few weeks.  We have made musical storms in LOTS of different ways.

SINGING!
The "Songs of the Storm" teaches us to sing the interval of a fifth---like from a C to a G.  This is a bigger reach than they have done before.  It also uses a MINOR scale, which is a spooky, suspenseful sound.  Each part of the storm has it's own dynamic (loud, soft) and also intensity---the wind song is smooth and soft, the thunder song is loud and intense.  Each song uses roughly the same tune, which can be heard here:  "Songs of the Storm" Sample 
(It is a short sample, but I believe you can download the whole song)  ASK  YOUR CHILD TO SING THIS TO YOU!

We wave our arms like the wind for the Song of the Wind:
Oooooooo, Ooooooooo (Descending minor scale)
I can hear the wind
Oooooooo, Ooooooooo (Descending minor scale)
I can hear the wind

We pat our legs like the start of the rain for the Song of the Rain:
Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter (Interval of 5th)
I can hear the rain!
Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter (Interval of 5th)
I can hear the rain!

We stomp our feet like the sound of thunder for the Song of the Storm:
BOOM, BOOM!  BOOM, BOOM! (Interval of 5th)
I can hear the storm!
BOOM, BOOM!  BOOM, BOOM! (Interval of 5th)
I can hear the storm!

Then comes the LIGHTNING, which has a little different song.  It goes like this:  (Tyler H. made up the cool hand motions for this song!)
ZIG!  ZAG!
Lightning's Jagged Flash!
ZIG!  ZAG!
Lightning's Jagged Flash!

To hear a listening sample of the Lightning Song, CLICK HERE

DYNAMICS
We also have been working on playing softly and building to a LOUD (in music, this is called a CRESCENDO) and then starting LOUD and then growing softer and softer (in music, this is called a DIMINUENDO).  Pretending to be a rainstorm building in intensity works great for teaching this gradual increase/decrease of volume.

The Percussion STORM!
Then came the percussion STORM!  This is where we use lots of different percussion instruments to make all the sounds of a rainstorm.
 
Wind chimes and the big fan make the sound and feel of the wind.
Egg shakers, Rainsticks, Zumi Scrapers, and Maracas make the gentle sounds of falling rain.
Bongos, Finger Drums and make the harder rainfall.
Drums and the realistic "Thunder Tube" make the sounds of rolling thunder.
Tambourine and cymbal make the crash of lightning!

We did these percussion instruments in rotating centers so that each child would have a turn with each part of the rainstorm.  The instruments were also in order from the quiet parts of the storm to the loudest parts of the storm.  As we went around the circle, our sounds got louder and louder, making a musical crescendo!  Ask your child which instrument he/she liked the BEST!  (I included LOTS of pictures, so keep on scrolling down to continue!)

The Rainbow Song
What comes after the rainstorm?  A rainbow of course!  Here we are singing the "Colors of the Rainbow" song.  Click HERE for the "Colors of the Rainbow" Song Sample

And what else happens after a HARD RAIN?  MUD PUDDLES!!!  We had a lot of fun doing this song about walking around the mud puddles, then jumping in the mud puddles!  Our scarves on the floor were our mud puddles.

So So SO much more to come!  We have a few more lessons on rain, and then we begin our focus on SNOW!  Do you think we will have some snow on the ground by that time?  Maybe??!!!  :)