Submitted by Monica, Tennessee
Idea posted October 28, 2009
I have had kindergarten classes for 55, 50, and 45 minutes. I find the trick with longer kindergarten classes is to have a great set or hook to the lesson. I often use a story from a book, or tell a story and use visuals on my magnetic white board, or sing a story song with very repetitious parts where they can almost immediately join in and sing. Sometimes I demonstrate an instrument such as my guitar, autoharp, dulcimer, recorder, didgeridoo, or something else unusual. I let them take turns strumming or "playing" if they can be very careful. With other instruments, I just explain they have to "look and listen" only. This all takes 10-15 minutes.
As a break, we move. I use a lot of the Learning Station's CDs or Hap Palmer activities. This takes about 5-10 minutes.
After we settle back down, I connect the initial part of the lesson to what we started with. I try to do a lot of so-mi singing. I set barred instruments in pentatonic and let them do rotations - just gently tapping while we sing. I have a set of charts that are about 30 years old and have iconic notation for playing on the beat using non-pitched percussion. I have laminated visuals that students get to take turns holding. It's amazing how many times kinders will sing a song if they have the prospect of holding a cut-out! This all takes about 20-25 minutes.
If there's extra time, I put on a listening piece, a sing-along CD, or do another movement activity.
The key is not doing anything for too long and to let them stretch and move. I don't have a restroom in my music area, so I do have to let them go down the hall to their K-area restrooms. I tell them up-front, first-of-the-year that I don't allow "potty parades." (That's when one person asks and, all of a sudden, everyone has to go!) If you ask them to wait a minutes, they often forget. If they remember to ask, I let them go.
I really don't mind the 45 minute classes - maybe because I've had 55 minute classes, and those are long with Ks.