Mommy Monday: chores for 3 year olds

With only one grownup and two toddlers in the house, I have been highly motivated to get my girls to help out in meaningful ways around the house. The beauty of giving toddlers and preschoolers chores to do is that they actually love it! Because independence is so important to them, giving them ways to contribute in a meaningful way to the running of the house and their daily living is beneficial for everyone. I started consciously giving my girls ...ahem... tasks to do was when they were around 2 years old. Since then I have gradually added things as I realize they are able to do them or find ways to make it easier. Here is the list of chores my girls currently do on a routine basis (the photos link back to previous blog posts where I have described my setup in further detail):

1. Set the table
          They love picking out the color dishes they want to use and the chair in which they will sit!

2. Clear the dishes after a meal
          I keep their dishes in an easily accessible cabinet so they can get out and put away dishes on their own. They recently got tall enough to reach the counter or kitchen sink so they can help clear the table.

3. Put their dirty clothes by the washing machine

4. Put away clean laundry
          I have a stacked washer and dryer in a small closet off of my living room, so the girls just dump their dirty clothes on the floor in front of the closet. It makes it easier for me to just pick them up and dump them in the hamper (in the closet next to the washer) or straight into the machine. Their clothes are in easy-to-access bins in a closet so they can put clean clothes away on their own.

5. Make their bed
          This is the latest addition. They only recently started really using their blankets, so it has only recently been something that even needs to happen, but it took me a while to figure out how to do it. One day I hit on an idea and so far it has worked- I tell them they need to "tuck in" their dolls so they can sleep while the girls are away. They put their dolls (they each have 3 small ones in their beds) on their pillow and fix the blanket so just their heads/faces are peeking out. I sometimes have to help them get the far edge by the wall straightened out but they can mostly do it on their own and they enjoy doing it!

6. Put away their toys
          Having their toys and games easily accessible in bins has made this another easy process.

7. Put away groceries
          My girls LOVE going to the grocery store. They are also very good at knowing exactly where everything goes in the fridge or pantry, and they absolutely insist on putting groceries away themselves.

8. Clean up most spills
          I keep a pile of rags in the corner of my pantry where they can easily access them. Since they started potty training (around age 2) I have had them at least attempt to clean up spills on their own by wiping it up with a rag, although I often finish it up myself or spray some cleaner on it before they wipe.

9. Wash out little training potty after use
          Their caregiver (who watches them in her home) actually got me started on this- the girls empty their training potties into the "big potty" in the bathroom after they use it. Lately they use the training potties and the bathroom toilet interchangeably, but whenever they use it they empty the training potty themselves (unless it's really messy!!). When they were potty training, they took a lot of pride in doing this because it gave them a chance to show off their prize before dumping it out!

10. Personal grooming- get dressed, brush teeth, comb hair, wash hands
          I don't know if this counts as a chore but it sure felt like a chore when I did it for them! For the most part, the girls brush their own teeth, comb their own hair, wash their own hands, pick out their clothes, and dress/undress themselves. Some shirts are still hard for them to get on and off themselves, and I do still help them with their hair, but this is another area where they would much rather do as much as possible on their own anyway. Keeping their clothes, brushes, soap, and faucet accessible makes these tasks more doable at this age.

Do you have any other chores you have seen 3-year-olds have success with? Should 3-year-olds have any chores at all? Share your thoughts in the comments! :)

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Teacher Tuesday: drum circle lesson ideas

If you missed it, make sure you check out my previous post on the logistics of setting up, organizing, and running a drumming circle in your classroom. Today's post is focused on my favorite lesson ideas and activities to use in the drumming circle. These basic ideas have worked well for me with students in first grade all the way up to eighth grade (and I'm pretty sure they would work with high schoolers too!). I'm listing them here in the order that I usually introduce them to my students.

1. Basic techniques and vocabulary

I intentionally start the drum circle with an activity that requires the students to hold the drum without playing it, just to make sure everyone is focused and understands that I really mean it when I tell them they will sit out if they play their drum, even by mistake, when it is not their turn! We start off by going over how to hold the drum, and the names of the different parts of the drum (rim, head, body etc). I also go over the parts of the hand (heel, finger, knuckle, palm, side) that we will be using to play the drum. From this point on, I try to only use the specific vocabulary when I am describing what to do. I introduce each playing technique by giving a brief description (1 sentence max!) and then demonstrating. I then use that one technique to play different 4-beat patterns and have them copy it back. Here is a demonstration of some basic playing techniques you can use on most drums (I wouldn't use this video with students- too much verbal explanation etc- but it is a good model if you are working on it yourself before leading the group):

2. "Let's All Play Our Drum"

This is a great way to really get students to focus on listening, and also get some practice on the basic playing techniques. Basically you say the phrase, "let's all play our drum", and everyone plays their drum on the word "drum". I usually specify which playing technique they should use so they can practice different ones throughout the exercise. Say the sentence at different speeds and see if they can play at the right time. Then start taking words away and have them use inner hearing to know when to play- you say "Let's all...", they hear "play our" in their heads, and play on the word "drum". There are other variations of this as well, which you can see in the video below:

3. Pass the Pattern

I start this by having them echo some 4-beat rhythms after me again, then having each person take turns playing that pattern all the way around the circle. Focus on keeping the beat steady and having no gaps between each person. Then explain that you are going to start passing a new pattern around the circle while the first is still circling. Have each student point to the person before them, to whom they should listen. The people across the circle will be doing a different pattern so they should NOT listen to them! My older students have been able to get up to 4 patterns going at a time. Everybody loves the challenge of this one!

4. Longer Patterns

While we're in the echoing mood, I teach the students a more complex pattern, mixing some playing techniques and using more complex rhythms, with a mnemonic device- I match the rhythm to a phrase and have the students repeat the phrase after me several times so they internalize the rhythm. Our favorites have been, "yum, yum, tastes like chicken", "Mom, I'm home, and now I want to eat", and "come and get your ice cream! come and get it now!" (yes, I like to talk about food). Once they can say it correctly, I have them echo the pattern on the drum slowly while saying it, eventually speeding it up and taking away the words. 

5. Improv Circle

This time, instead of copying the pattern of the person before them, everyone is going to make up their own rhythm! Each person gets 4 beats to improvise. Go around the circle without stopping (like the beginning of the Pass the Pattern game). For younger students I usually count each person's 4 beats by holding up my fingers towards them. I tell them that if someone misses their turn, that is a 4-beat rest- we will not give you another turn or stop for you! This is also a good time to talk about the importance of respect for yourself and others and especially focus on facial expressions. I encourage them not to make a cringing face when they improv (a common defense mechanism), laugh, or react negatively to anyone else's playing.

6. Improv Circle 2

Once students are comfortable improvising, remind them of one of the longer patterns you practiced with a phrase. Practice everyone playing that pattern together, clapping for 4 beats, then repeating the pattern. Once they can do that, tell students that the 4 beats of clapping is when one person will be improvising. Everyone will play the pattern in between each person's turn to improv. 

7. Drum Talk

Everyone continues to improvise in this activity, but this time instead of going straight around the circle, you improvise in between each student's turn. Go all the way around the circle with this pattern once to make sure students understand the new order. Now tell them that if you play 3 notes (ti-ti ta or 1-&-2) at any time, everyone needs to copy it whether it is their turn or not. After that, the order will resume as before. Eventually of course I like to up the ante and have any students who miss the echo pattern put their drums down for the rest of the round. I also raise the level of difficulty with my older students by telling students they can also play the echo pattern on their turn (and they would improvise something else after everyone else echos).

8. Free For All

If your group is focused and positive, it is great fun to get to the point where I can just tell students to watch me and play something appropriate, and just go to town jamming with the whole group. Here's an example, but you can see how if everyone is watching, listening, and comfortable in the circle, you can take this in many different ways and is a great way to culminate the drum circle time:

You can find all of the sources linked here, plus many other great drum circle and world music ideas, on my Pinterest board called Music Teaching: World Music and Drum Circles. If you have other great resources for drumming circles, please share and I'll add them to the board!! Leave a comment here or share on my Facebook page!

Looking for teaching ideas and tips for other instruments like recorder, xylophone, ukulele, keyboard, and more? Head to this post:

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Mommy Monday: favorite on-the-go items to foster independence in preschoolers

Fostering independence (without anyone getting hurt) has to be one of the most important and difficult parts of raising preschoolers. Last week I shared my favorite items to have around the house for this purpose. Today I'm back with my favorite things when we're on the go!

1. Travel Potty

Potty training is obviously a key feature of hanging out with preschoolers, and also one of the biggest setbacks to outings at this age. Having a travel potty for them makes such a huge difference! This one that I have is awesome because it folds up like a briefcase, making it a little less conspicuous, you use it with any gallon-size bag, and it has storage compartments on the sides! I keep spare underwear, pants, and socks, wipes, and when the girls were training I kept raisins (my treat of choice for successful potty ventures) in there as well. I keep mine in the car trunk so I always have it with me. When they were first training, they also liked to use it when we were out somewhere that had a bathroom, because it was more familiar to them. 

2. Reusable Pouches

I wrote about how I organize and store my pouches in this blog post. Basically, they are pouches that you can fill with your own baby food, yogurt, smoothies, or whatever, wash and reuse. The great thing about pouches is that preschoolers don't need much help to eat them on the go- my girls can take off the top, eat, and put the top back on by themselves. A lot of other food that we take with us- granola bars, string cheese, etc- requires my help with the packaging (which is never a good thing for them). The other great thing about the reusable pouches is that the girls can choose exactly what they want in them, and help me make them! Sometimes it's just straight yogurt or applesauce, but other times we make smoothies together. They love picking out the ingredients and putting them in the blender. 

3. Reusable Velcro Bags

So these are technically snack bags or sandwich bags, but I use them for so much more than that- magnets for a game in the car, colored pencils and paper to use in the waiting room, hats and sunscreen... The great thing about these bags is that they have velcro closures so the girls can open them themselves but there's little risk of spilling, and because they are dishwasher safe I can let them handle whatever is inside without worrying about keeping the bag from getting too dirty. Since they come in fun patterns and colors, the girls can also pick which design they want- any time they can pick something is a plus! It also helps if I have several bags for each child- like a sandwich and grapes, or paper and pencils- because I can color-code the bags and tell them that "all the blue bags are yours" and they can find their own things.

4. Backpacks/ Purses

There are a gazillion different types out there, but putting the kids in charge of (at least some of) their own stuff is a great way to develop their independence! My girls usually have a water bottle, a small toy or book, and maybe a snack when we go out. I have recently started giving them a small grocery list of their own when we go grocery shopping together, and I put 2-3 items on each of their pieces of paper. I've seen people who have lists with photographs of the items for pre-readers- I don't go that far. My girls can't read yet but they know starting sounds so I usually tell them what is on their list and they can remember based on the first letter of the word after that. They are responsible for finding and remembering those items at the store. I usually pick things that aren't essential to my weekly meal plan, and if they forget their items, we will go home without them. They take more pride in it when they know I am actually counting on them for their items, not just pretending!

What are your favorite items for fostering independence when you're on the go? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Teacher Tuesday: lessons for the end of the year

Well, we are approaching the middle of May, which means the end of the school year is drawing near (some of us sooner than others) for many of us. Keeping students engaged and doing something worthwhile can be challenging in those last few classes! Here are some of my favorites:

1. Hula Hoop Conductor

I got this idea here last year and my students and I loved it! Basically one person is the conductor and the rest of the class follows them, usually on instruments. But instead of waving their arms to conduct, the conductor moves in and out of hula hoops laying on the floor. If they are inside the hoop, they play. If they step out, they stop. I used 3 hula hoops in different colors and assigned groups of instruments to each hoop (green is metals, red is skins etc). The best part is getting the class to intuitively follow the conductor's movements while they are in the hoop, like playing softly for tiptoe, one big sound together when you jump, or loud when you reach up high. I always conduct the class first so they can get some ideas, and I get a good workout doing it! The only thing I tell them is which hula hoop is for which instruments, and I let them figure out the rest. I start slowly by stepping in and out of one hoop at a time, then I start mixing it up by jumping in and out of two or three at a time, running across, tiptoeing, and doing crazy dances. Once they get the idea I start having students come and conduct and see what they come up with.

This activity is great because it keeps students focused, there is an element of silliness, and it involves playing instruments, which students always appreciate. One way to have students play more than one instrument is to have the conductor take the instrument from someone to become the next conductor.

2. Going Downtown

I like to do lots of dancing and movement games at the end of the year but "Going Downtown" is my favorite. I took an activity I saw at a conference and modified it. To set up the game, separate students into two lines facing each other, with at least 5 feet between the two lines. Try to make the lines even but if there is an odd number of students it will still work. The students are the sidewalks, and the space between them is the street. I tell students to imagine they are on their way to a really awesome party. They are walking down the street with their friend to get to the party. If they're really excited about the party, they aren't just going to be walking calmly down the street- they would be skipping, jumping, doing cartwheels, dancing... One person from the front of each row will be going from the front of the line, down the middle, and joining the back of the line, but they won't be just walking. One person, whose name I call, will be coming up with a fun way to go down the street. The other person (from the other row) will copy them. But they are going to the party together, so they will be going down the street at the same time- not watching the first person and then copying after. Everyone else on the sidewalk moves forward as soon as someone leaves their row to make space at the back of each row. Keep taking turns until the end of the song (I used to have a CD with a song called "Going Downtonwn"- hence the name- but now I use "Walking On Sunshine", which is equally appropriate!).

These are the rules I give my students when we play: wait until I call one of your names to go, keep the street wide, only do things your partner can physically do, and if you can physically do something you should go for it. I remind them that we don't want any traffic jams, so I make sure the next pair doesn't start going until the previous one has gotten to the end of the row. Often the people waiting get busy watching the others walking past them and they start to move in, making the space too small. To avoid injuries, make sure the space stays wide! For the person picking the movement, I give the example of someone who can do back flips and another cannot. If the leader chooses something that their partner can't do, they are disqualified from the game. If the person copying can do something (like maybe a somersault) and chooses not to, they are disqualified. Obviously you as the teacher will have to be the judge of whether something is truly too difficult or not, or if someone is trying to embarrass someone out of spite rather than fun (I've never had that happen, even in my most challenging groups, but it is theoretically something that I am prepared for).

3. Soundscapes

Soundscapes are, as I tell my students, like landscapes (a visual representation of a scene) with sound. We are trying to evoke a certain image with a combination of sounds. There are so many ways to use this concept, but I have used and love the following versions:

Kindergarten/1st: Introduce a set of classroom instruments (at least one more different kinds than there are students) and have them listen to each one. Read a poem, and assign a word or phrase to each student, and have them pick an instrument sound to match the word. Practice having them play the instrument at the same time as you read the word, then see if they can "play the poem" without you reading. Having them sit in the order they play will help :)

2nd/3rd: Assign small groups to a specific location (like the playground, zoo, downtown city, airport, etc) and have them come up with sounds they would hear in that location. Then they need to figure out a way to recreate each of their sounds using instruments, found sounds, voice, or body percussion. You can make it slightly more challenging by telling them they have to have at least one in each category of sound source. It's really fun to have groups draw a scene out of a hat and practice secretly, then have the class close their eyes for the performance and guess the location.

4th and up: The basic soundscape activity for 2nd and 3rd graders still works well with the older students, but for more of a challenge you can extend the concept to less concrete subjects. Since we have an emotional literacy curriculum in our district, I like to give each small group a "feeling word" to describe with sound. You can also connect it with writing by having them write a short story and then tell the story with sound (no speaking words!).

4. Silly Songs

There are some songs that I save for the end of the year because they are just pure fun. Others from the beginning of the year are great to bring back for an encore! "Kobuta" is a fun song from Japan that is fun and easy because it has very few words and it is an echo song. I do silly motions for each animal (like push my nose up for the pig). The best part is when you start creating variations- I have students suggest different feelings and do the song in that feeling. The all-time favorite is always the very, very sad one!

"Pizza Daddy-O" is one that I use at the beginning of 2nd grade to experience call and response, and I love to bring it back at the end of the year. You can have students come up with new dance moves for the ending to make it even funnier.

The list of songs goes on and on, but I'll share one more favorite: Miss Julie Ann Johnson. In the link you'll find the sheet music for the tune, but scroll down to the bottom and you'll see the suggestion from "reader Elizabeth C" (me! that's me!) for how I use the song to make up ridiculous stories and reinforce good singing tone and posture.

Update: if you're looking for end of the year lessons that take up a bit more time (over several class periods), check out this post!

What do you like to do at the end of the year? Share your favorites in the comments!

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