Over the past eighteen years of teaching music to kids (both in school and homeschool), these have been some of my favorite books to introduce musical concepts! You really can’t go wrong with picture books because: they are engaging for kids they make it easy for the parents to teach the whole family can enjoy … Read more
Perhaps your kids have been learning about the four instrument families of the orchestra: Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion. But do they know about a V.I.P. called…(drumroll)…the conductor? In today’s Musical Mondays post we’ll be discussing the role of a conductor and how they use non-verbal communication to lead a group of musicians. I’ll also … Read more
Games for kids like musical chairs and freeze dance can be fun to play, but if we’re being completely honest, they don’t teach kids anything. If you’re ready to take your music games up a notch and actually help kids practice music skills – this post is for you! What you’ll find in this blog … Read more
What should you do if you’re working with a child who struggles to match pitch, or like many students, someone who feels hesitant to sing in front of others? Vocal Shape Cards are a great tool to help solve these problems and get kids to explore pitch in a fun, comfortable way. What you’ll find … Read more
Creative movement is a widely used term in music education, but what does it really refer to and why is it good for children? What you’ll find in this blog post: Explanation of what creative movement is and is not Four ideas for incorporating creative movement into your lessons Bonus phrase and question to ask … Read more
It seems like recently I keep hearing about studies and reading articles that show how modern kids’ attention spans are shrinking. Let’s be honest, adults struggle with this too! But all hope is not lost; today I want to explain all about ‘Guided Listening’ and how it can lengthen attention span, exercise critical thinking, and … Read more
If you’re looking for a great resource to teach beginning rhythm, I’d love to introduce you to Word Chains. What are they? A Word Chain is a set of words all based on a central topic, where students get to practice speaking/clapping/playing various rhythm patterns. What you’ll find in this blog post: Step-by-step instructions to … Read more
This week I’m kicking off a new series called ‘Musical Mondays’. Each Monday we’ll tackle a musical concept and I’ll be your guide on how to model these ideas for your students. Remember that my #1 goal at Morning Basket Music is to make it easy for anybody to teach music to their kids (I’m … Read more
What’s included in the preview unit? As you’re learning more about the Morning Basket Music curriculum, I’d love to give you a peek inside the preview unit. Moses Goes to a Concert is a wonderful story that teaches kids empathy and introduces American Sign Language. They will hear about instruments from the percussion family, and … Read more