Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 2.

[Meredith Pizzi]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 2. Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM 2. Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies 2 session.

[Carolyn Keenan]

5 words to describe SM2: Playful, Variation, Energy, Calm, Surprise

5 Sentences to tell parents: It is okay to let your child move about the room and explore. We are here to encourage emerging independence in a safe and supportive setting. Your child may “visit” others but will come back to you! Alternate facing your child toward you and toward the group. Touch the bottom of their feet flat to the floor, or flat against your hands.

Greeting: same Hello as SM1
Bonding: Jig Jog Jee (“I want someone to buy me a pony, jig jog jig jog jig jog jee”…….ends with “Wheeee!)
Songs About Me: I would use Can You See Me? from the video; I can see that being a favorite!
Instrument Songs: Rock and roll it, shake it and make it hot — includes high, low, fast, slow with maracas. Note: I really like the idea of gathering several drums together if you don’t have a large gathering drum. I don’t know why I didn’t think to do that before!
Movement: Marching With My Baby!
Goodbye: same as SM1

[Alison Barrington]

5 words to describe SM2: Anticipation; rubato; energetic, variety, fun.

5 sentences to say to parents:
1. we’re going to help your child move and organize their movements with the music.
2. Don’t worry if they don’t do a lot of singing or playing in the sessions – they’re listening and absorbing it all.
3. Enjoy marching and moving with your child.
4. If you hold your child’s arms like this then they’ll feel safe to learn to clap.
5. Don’t worry all the instruments are clean!

Greeting: I have always liked the NR hello song which would need to be developed now to engage these older children.
Bonding: I like the ones that are shown on the videos. There is another one (perhaps an English rhyme?) which is a lap song: ‘Ladies go trit-trot, trit-trot, trit-trot, gentlemen go clippity-clop, clippity-clop, clippity-clop, and (name of child) goes gallopy, gallopy, gallopy all the way home.’ It’s speeds up as it goes along.
Songs about me: I also like Can you see me
Instrument songs: I like the ideas around the dum – both gathering and separate. Given that the children will probably move to and from their carer I might try to do a bit of both depending on the needs of the group
Movement: It might depend on the mobility of the group. If all are mobile (i.e.. walking) then Marching with my Baby would be great and I would like to add lots of variations to that. If the group is primarily all just sitting then something about lifting hands p and down.
Goodbye: Same as SM1 with a little more variety to keep the interest there. I also like the thank you bit mentioned in the video

[Claudia Eliaza]

5 words: Fun, Energetic, Surprise, Playful, Exploration.

5 sentences to tell parents:
1. When your child gets up and roams about the room, understand that this is their way of exploring the world around them independently.
2. Children aren’t rejecting you when they explore the room, they’re developing their own sense of identity.
3. We create space in the music to allow the children to respond/initiate.
4. When singing these songs to your child, see if your child can match or even imitate your pitches.
5. Because children take in a good amount of information through their feet, help organize their bodies by planting the feet firmly on the ground when you’re moving them rhythmically to the music.

Lesson Plan:
Greeting: Hello everyone (to the tune: Ants Go Marching In)
Bonding: She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain (Great sit and sing bonding song. Also great for some lyric substitution) I also want to use some of Elizabeth’s great songs in the future!
Songs About Me: Can You See Me (I want to try to use this song)
Instrument Song: I love this Come With Me song. It lends itself to such great rhythmic play.
Movement Song: All Around the Kitchen. I love this song! It’s got such a great energy and spirit while ranging dynamically. Kids love dancing to this song and listening to the instructions given. It also helps children with freeze and go.
Goodbye: I also love this Thank you song. Great way to remind families of how grateful we are for their attendance. It’s a nice way to change it up too!

[Kimberly Rodgers-Melnick]

5 words: playful, energetic, independence, exploration, variety

5 sentences for parents:
1. It’s normal for kids to observe and absorb during class time and then sing at home.
2. Children are developing independence during this stage and need to be able to move around freely during class.
3. When you holding your baby in your lap, hold them under their shoulders so that they are able to freely move their arms around
4. The bottoms of babies’ feet are great for sensory input, try tapping the rhythm there
5. Watch as your child learns to shake a maraca. They will begin by mouthing and then they may start and stop their mouthing with the music, you can also watch as their movements progress from slow waving to actual shaking and being able to start and stop their movement with the music

Session Plan
1. Hey Hey Come and Play
2. Wiggly Jiggly Car
3. Just Like Me
4. Sit With Me and Shake
5. I Can Move Around
6. Goodbye
7. Thank You Very Much

[Elana Dietz-Weinstein]

5 words: playful, free, energy, spontaneous, discovery, engaging, exploration

5 sentences: 1. We want them to move around and explore 2. Children love to observe at this age – they are absorbing everything. 3. Children love to explore at this point in their development and will come back and forth to you, the safe base. 4. We want the children to be as independent as possible. 5. It’s okay if they don’t exactly follow the direction, it’s about making choices.

Session Plan 1. Hello 2. Can You See Me? 3. In My Little Hand 4. Wave Your Scarf (to the tune of Edelweiss) 5. Goodbye

[Mabel Ortiz]

5 Words: Exploration, Independence, Surprise, Energetic, Lively

1) It is ok if your child wants to explore around, 2) Your child may not want to sit on your lap at this time, and that is ok, 3) If your child plays on the drum, or his/her instrument “out of place”, it is ok, since it is part of exploring, 4) Part of them being independent, is that they may run around the classroom while the music is playing, 5) Help your child in directing his/her body and movements. It is especially beneficial if you help their feet touch the floor (if jumping up and down), so they feel a sense of stability.

Hello: When I meet a new friend; Movement: Dance to the music; Instruments: Shake, shake, shake; Goodbye: It’s time to go {songs from Bright Start Music}

[Laura Pruett]

5 words:
1. Playful
2. Anticipation
3. Variety
4. Trust
5. Exploration

5 Sentences:
1. Kids at this age are not developmentally expected to clap on their own, but you can help your child clap by putting their hands on top of yours! (and physically show how to do this)
2. Give your child at least 3 seconds to stop, it’s ok if they don’t stop right away.
3. You see how your child is reaching for you to wrap your arms around them? Let’s help them feel more secure. (and start singing “Wiggly Jiggly Car”)
4. Look how much your child loves jumping with you! Make sure their feet firmly plant on the ground on each jump.
5. See how your child is making faces at you, even from so far away? They are secure in their trust of you, knowing that you are still there for them.

Session Plan:

1. “Hello” as people are walking in and adjusting to the space (low energy)

2. “Hey! Hey! Come and Play!” to gather the kids together (high energy)

3. “Wiggly, Jiggly, Car” (low energy then high energy)

4. “Hold On Tight” (low energy then high energy)

5. “Can You See Me?” (mid energy, not to low, not too high)

6. “Sit With Me and Shake” (high energy)

7. “I Like This Song” (lower energy)

8. “March With My Baby” (HIGH energy)

9. “All Of This Is Me” (low energy)

10. “Music Time Is Over” (low energy)

11. “Goodbye” (mid energy)

12. “Thank You Very Much” (mid energy) as they walk out the door

[Jen Hinton]

5 words to describe SM2 music experiences:
playful, anticipated surprises, spontaneous, authentic, connections

5 sentences to parents to describe responses in SM2:
1. Being close to you is home base but watch how they soak in the environment- any way they explore- watching, walking around, mouthing an instrument is ok. (point out bin to wash instruments)
2. They are observing a lot during class so it is normal for them to not do all the things you see them do at home when they’re taking in and experiencing the group participating.
3. When you physically guide them to move their hands, let their arms be on the outside of your arms (demonstrate.)
4. When we stomp and march, you can use your hands to assist their feet to strike fully on the ground (demonstrate.)
5. Look at how your child is moving and try to match them rather than thinking of matching “the beat.”

Session Plan
• I am planning here as if for my first SM2 group – participants all new to the program and myself being somewhat new to the music. So, I am purposefully trying to mix in songs that I think families in our area would know and that I am very comfortable with. Adapting music from the awesome book we received and over-planning because 45 minutes is a lot longer than the groups I usually do, so I am estimating time just to get a sense of how long that might be. I don’t regularly work with parents – just kids and 1 teacher/aide per classroom so it is new and neat to think about how to incorporate them into the group.

Gathering/Greeting Experiences
• Hello Everyone (wave, hug, blow a kiss, hi) 2 min
• Signature SM Hello Song (2 word hello song) (2 min)
• The Wheels on the Bus (Familiar Bonding Song-wheels/round-wipers/swish-seats on the bus/bump-my family/I love you(hug)-people on the bus wave/how are you(wave) – 3 min
• Wiggly, Jiggly Car – 2 min

Transition Invitation to Play Instrument– Listen to the Sound of my drum (gathering drum) (2 min)

Instrument Playing/Exploring Group Cohesion –Gathering Drum -can move it over toward pairs if needed
• Sit Down and Join My Circle (will you tap in our circle? Now let’s tap in our circle) 4min
• Come with Me and Play a Little-while we’re dancing in the middle…accelerando 2min

Transition – Give instruments out – Come with Me and Play a Little – with toddler maracas (3 min)

Instrument Playing – toddler maracas
• Invite to return to pairs (remind it’s OK if not!) with verse of Wiggly Jiggly (now let’s go back – to find your lap) repeat until ready for 6/8 section (1 min)
• Wiggly Jiggly Car 6/8 section with stops (3 min)
o Extend to do whole song with pairs again(2 min)

Gross Motor Movement while holding maracas
• The Ants Go Marching – piggybacked marching/stomping song (2min)

Instrument Playing – toddler maracas
• I Like to Shake (shake-shake/shake-shake to tune of Blue Danube) shake it up high/down low (4 min)

Gross Motor Movement – hand out scarves – one for each pair or children can explore with their own
• Row it Faster (tune of Row, Row)- using scarves for caregiver and child to hold together? (3 min)
• Can You See Me? (peek-a-boo with scarves and find body parts) (3 min)

Closing Experiences
• Good-bye Everyone (same as 1st opening song – wave, hug, blow a kiss) (3 min)
• Music Time is Over (2min)
• Thank You Very Much (2 min)

[Jen Hinton]

Laura Pruett- trying to respond directly to your post…I love your wording in sentences for the parents. Love how you direct them to notice things and can see this being such an accessible way to connect developmental info for parents, rather than just listing facts. Glad I got to read yours first…you shaped my language for the better! 🙂

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for your submissions. Remember you may need quite a few experiences to fill a 45 minute session, however also be prepared that some songs go longer then you would typically predict. I’ve had many a songs, like a movement experience song, go on for 3-5 minutes because the children where so engaged in improvising within the song and I kept with it because they were not ready to move on. Laura I noticed you put the energy levels to the right and this a great idea for planning, however you will probably find that energy level will really be dependent on what the group comes in with and how they react. I’ve had many openings with extremely stimulated children and I would use the ISO principle and meet them where they were and bring them down. When I first started out offering Sprouting Melodies I had a plan with energy levels in mind, however I found that I ended up making the energy in the music based on what the group needed from moment to moment.

[Laura Pruett]

Erika – that is a great point! I included the energy levels to the right at Beth’s suggestion in the video. But you are so right, we have to be ready to meet the needs of the kids in each and every moment!

Jen – you are so sweet! I learned from everyone posting before me, I changed my language after reading everyone else’s comments! =) We all learn from each other. I’m so glad I came back to check this week’s responses, I loved reading your response! Your session plan is so well thought out!

[Author]

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