Why Wiggle?
1. It helps in the learning and retention by engaging another sense and bringing focused attention. 2. It avoids boredom. In my lesson plans I may have something that fits in specifically with what we are doing that day that is not included in this general go to list. I also have this "general" post. Make any song a wiggle song. Why I rarely use things for the children to hold. This is simply my personal preference: #1 reason - I just don't want to spend the time passing them in and out. Truly. #2 reason - there is so much we can do with just us. #3 reason - often I am setting them up for some sort of experience and I don't want to take away from that. #4 reason - some of the feedback from some in my flock is that it was fun, but not their favorite thing to do so why do it? (This may not be the case for someone else's group though.) #5 reason - with my focused attention methods we are making a movement on certain words and so that's easy to do with just us. Also, it's easy to layer in more challenges ie snap on this word, clap on this word, jump on this word, etc. Here is another link to general ideas for teaching a new song. However, I do most of my teaching of the music part of new songs with a recording during transition time. Then I do overall experiences for singing time where the message(s) is/are taught. Also, in my lesson plans sometimes our "movement" is that we are in a different place so we don't need as much movement while we are singing. If a song isn't listed:
A general challenge: Sometimes I ask them to watch me carefully while we sing and see if they can guess the key word. (I'll do one movement on one certain word every time we sing it. If I want to make it harder it's a small movement.) Or see if they can catch my mistake. This is list is my easy go to list to move us and get attentive listening/learning. I don't often use set movements that I have to learn and teach on top of teaching the music and the words. I personally just don't have time to learn or come up with something else. So my go to movements are really more spur of the moment things. A Happy Helper - mainly one we do for nursery
The Books In The Scriptures - for all of these we just try to race the pianist (the pianist can go melody only if needed, but usually I could still beat them even though they tried hard) The Church Of Jesus Christ
Most Christmas Songs we don't have actions to because they are just happy to be singing Christmas songs and just love them. You can substitute any other action for clap, snap, etc. to make the possibilities even greater.
2 Comments
Janet Hammond
5/2/2021 06:21:36 am
I love your ideas and would love an email of them if possible. Thank you Wendy.
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Nicole Richins
5/12/2021 07:03:16 pm
I can email it to you. What is your email address?
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Here are my tried and true tips/tricks based upon my past experience, CFM, Preach My Gospel, and also using my teaching strategies/philosophies that I also use in my day job.
Most are simple directed listening (Focused Attention) based for easy memorization and then also focusing in on topics for internalization of the Gospel messages. Lot's of my different ideas on a few pages :) Archives
March 2021
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