CITIES! BUSY PLACES~FRIENDLY FACES – WEEK 10
Next Week: Remember to bring your
Kindermusik Resonator Bars and Mallets
And your Homemade Bells
“The successful minds of the future will be those that have learned what it feels like to be in charge of themselves. They will be able to direct their own attention and come up with their own action plans.” How to Have Intelligent and Creative Conversations With Your Kids, by Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., p.13. Through activities such as Three Artists Matching Game and Moving Artists, your child is encouraged to offer her own ideas, to answer open-ended questions, to consider options; in other words, to come up with her own plan. It was evident this week that each student has their own ideas of how a painter, a musician, or a dancer moves. I noticed that each person seem to have very different ideas, some more flamboyant than others. And we seem to have a lot of different sized guitars, and guitar styles. I could have sworn I was at an air guitar rock concert.
There was a huge improvement in the student’s participation in our circle game with hoops and metal instruments, using “There’s a little bell a ringing in my heart”. Again, through the process of repetition of this wonderful exploratory activity, the students were much more able to take turns, follow instructions, and sing while playing an instrument both quietly and loudly.
The homework this week is to make a bell and bring it to class. Last time we did Cities, we had a few bells made out of flower pots, and decorated with stickers, or painted – beautifully pink. And one girl made up her own design with small bells attached to the end of colorful pipe cleaners, with the other end looped around a large brass ring.
Have fun with this activity, and allow the child to consider a large variety of options. This problem solving process is a great way to give opportunities to “direct their own attention and come up with their own action plans”. As I was speaking with a few parents this week, we agreed; the best way to be a parent is often the hardest and longest way. Allowing them to self direct can take soooooo much time, but it is sooooo worth it. Good luck.