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Giveaway to Celebrate the Launch of My Musically Montessori Mini-ECourse

HOW ABOUT A FUN WEEK (OR MONTH!) OF MONTESSORI MUSIC ACTIVITIES THAT FIT NICELY WITH THE SEASON? 

MUSICALLY MONTESSORI: "NUTCRACKER SUITE 
FOR LITTLE KIDS"

This Giveaway has expired! However, you can join this mini-eCourse at this special price ($50.) until the end of November 2018. For the season of 2019, the price will go up to $75.  

The beautiful music from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite has been a seasonal mainstay in my music classes for several years now. I love introducing this exciting, and often very familiar, music to children in fun and engaging ways. And, I've come up with lots of ways!

I've been working for months on my full-length eCourse focusing on the instrument families of the Orchestra. During this process, I realized that there is simply too much to cover in a twelve week course! So, I decided to create this little mini-eCourse as a sort of "teaser" for children as a first introduction to the Orchestra and experiences to develop skills in listening and recognizing the music of one of the most famous composers, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. 


CLICK HERE to learn more:

  


WAYS TO USE THE LESSONS IN THIS MINI-ECOURSE

You can offer these lessons over the course of several weeks by introducing a new lesson each week and then providing follow-up activities as shelf works to reinforce the ideas during the week.

~ You can plan one huge week of jam-packed music fun by offering a lesson each day and filling your environment with the magic of Tchaikovsky's music.

You can offer this Unit during your "Winter Camp" when your regular classes are not in session. This is wonderful for a smaller group of children, especially if you culminate it all with an actual excursion to a matinee performance of the "Nutcracker Ballet Performance". The parents of your group will be more than willing to pay for their children's admission to the event. And, often, your local performing groups give special rates for school (and daycare) groups. 

~This Unit is something you can actually use anytime of year! It is a wonderful way to delve into your Cultural Studies unit on not only Europe, but also this Ballet Suite highlights music from around the world!


WHAT YOU'LL GET FROM TAKING MY eCOURSE
~ Four Easy-to-Follow Sessions with Instructional videos, Lesson Plan downloads and Mp3 music for each Lesson. On-line training with me to take you step-by-step through these activities to bring to your little ones. You'll learn my secrets to success!

~ Printables for creating Shelf Works to reinforce each lesson. 

~ Templates for the children to create stick puppets, masks, and crowns for a "Performance" or impromptu drama play.  

~ PDF Download for making your own picture story book, "The Nutcracker Ballet Story" to go along with the mp3 music while you read the story to the children



ENROLLMENT IN THIS MINI-ECOURSE
If you are a current subscriber on my email Newsletter list, you can use the 10% OFF CODE I sent in the most recent email.
Not one of my Newsletter Subscribers? CLICK HERE to join! You'll also be able to access my more than 30 RESOURCES from MY FREEBIE COLLECTION to really enhance your music curriculum for months to come! 
ENROLLMENT OPENS NOV. 1st. The eCourse BEGINS NOV. 6th.
CLICK HERE to learn more and enroll!

  
LET'S CELEBRATE! 



"HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE THE WINTER SEASON MUSICALLY WITH THE CHILDREN IN YOUR GROUP OR YOUR OWN CHILDREN?" 



Advertising Disclosure: Magical Movement Company may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. Thanks for your support! 


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Musically Montessori Freebie Collection Part Two!

THERE ARE SO MANY FREE RESOURCES IN MY "FREEBIE COLLECTION," THAT IT TAKES TWO POSTS TO SHOW THEM ALL TO YOU.  I'M HOPING YOUR MUSIC CURRICULUM WILL BE FULL AND RICH...FOR FREE! 
****This post is Part Two of my Two Part Series featuring the many free resources at Magical Movement Company's "Subscriber's Freebie Collection".

CLICK HERE if you would like to read Part One of this Series.

In this post, you'll find resources for:
~ Basic Music Concepts
~ Cultural and Seasonal
~ Montessori Baby-Ed


Whenever you become a new subscriber to my Newsletter you will immediately receive a welcoming email with the current password for my "Subscriber's Freebie Collection." 

You can subscribe right here on the sidebar of this Blog! Or, scroll down to the end of this post if you are on a mobile device.


SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAIL LIST


THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING MUSIC

For at least a decade now, we have been learning from scientific studies how important early music experiences are for the many areas of development in the young child, including cognitive, social-emotional, and of course musical! 

The real benefits for children come when they MAKE MUSIC. That is, when the child is actively creating sounds and exploring the components of music: 
  • Pitch (high & low)
  • Steady Beat
  • Tempo (fast & slow)
  • Dynamics (loud & quiet)
The experiences that have the best influence are the ones that are: 
  • Hands-on
  • Build skills in a sequential manner
  • Involve movement 
  • Based on real experiences with real instruments, rather than toys
  • Engage the children with games, drama play, and FUN!
Interestingly, these are also the secrets to the success of the Montessori method!

Now, for some freebies.
Each of my free downloads includes instructions for how to create and use the resources for your children. And, don't forget that I have gazillions of blog articles chock full of Montessori music (and Arts) activities you can access over the school year to keep your music curriculum fun and engaging for the children.

CLICK HERE for some ideas for making music with little children.

The main, basic concepts in music (pitch, rhythm, tempo, and dynamics) are an important place to start with children. I have always found these concepts to be really fun for little ones when they are presented the Montessori way. 

BASIC MUSIC CONCEPTS


I always present the concept of loud and quiet in music (the dynamics) with movement, focused listening, simple games, and rhythm instruments.

One of the important components to success is giving the children the actual terms in music: "Piano" (means quiet) and "Forte" (means loud.) 

My Lesson Plan Activities Pack will give you some fun ideas to try with your group. The Mp3 downloads will give you the tools for implementing the Lesson Plans.


NOT FREE BUT STILL A GOOD DEAL
I have a nice bundle at my TpT shop that will fill out this area of your music curriculum very nicely. It's not free, but I think it is a good deal! 
 Three Activity Packs for $9. CLICK HERE to check it out.


CULTURAL AND SEASONAL















~ "Flying Man Classroom Song Book" is a set of pdf downloads to create your own song book for the music corner of your environment.

~ My "Flying Man" Mp3 rendition of this song based on a traditional nursery rhyme will give you an idea of how I sing it with the children in my groups.

~ For a fun dramatization activity, each child can create their own mask or stick puppet with the astronaut helmet for coloring in a face.

~ My "Stop, Drop and Roll Around" Song is a musical way to reinforce fire safety awareness with little ones. You can listen to my Mp3 download to hear how I present the activity through a story-song. You can also create shelf works with my Activity Pack that goes well with learning the song. These activities will enhance your field trip visit from or to the Fire Station.

~ "Introducing the Orchestra with Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Ballet" is a pack of visuals and puppet templates to engage children in moving along with the music. The famous composer, Tchaikovsky, has many very memorable Ballet pieces that are appealing to children, especially when you introduce them to the story of the particular ballet. This packet goes well with another one of my freebies, "Instrument Families of the Orchestra 3-Part Cards."

~ "I'm a Firefighter Getting Dressed" song: I composed this little song with a familiar melody to offer a fun movement activity to go along with learning the song. There are 2 Mp3 downloads: one with the words being sung and the other is the instrumental background music for the children to sing along.


NOT FREE BUT STILL A GOOD DEAL
You can create a fun unit for your Firefighter Theme with my "Musically Montessori: Firefighter Getting Dressed Activity Pack" at my TpT shop. You can copy the pages for a classroom song book with the words from my "I'm A Firefighter Getting Dressed" as well as a fun manipulative shelf work as a follow-up activity for individual children to do at work time. 


CLICK HERE to check it out.
      $4. at my TpT Shop


MONTESSORI BABY-ED (and older)


In the Montessori "curriculum" for Infants, the child is given high contrast pictures to look at while at the changing table or on the play mat on the floor.  This three level set of musical instrument photos and graphics can be copied off and then placed in a frame and hung at the child's eye level. 

For older children, you can use the pictures as matching activities as well. And, even more challenging, I have collected pictures of instruments from each of the 4 families of Orchestra  instruments: Brass, Strings, Woodwinds, and Percussion, and so you can make a categorizing activity game for Preschool and Lower Elementary aged children.

Once again, I want to thank you for visiting my Blog today and I hope you have gotten lots of ideas for creating your Montessori music curriculum with your group!



Advertising Disclosure: Magical Movement Company may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. Thanks for your support! 








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Stock Your Montessori Music Shelves For Months With My Freebie Collection! Part One

BUDGET IS TIGHT?  DOWNLOAD MY FREEBIE COLLECTION AND STOCK YOUR MUSIC SHELF FOR MONTHS! 

****This post is Part One of my Two Part Series featuring the first twelve free resources at Magical Movement Company's "Subscriber's Freebie Collection" in these categories: 
  • My eBook, "Musically Montessori, First Lessons"
  • Practical Life Activities 
  • Sensorial Activities 
  • Pre-Math and Language Activities 


CLICK HERE to read Part Two of this series.
  • Basic Music Concepts
  • Cultural and Seasonal
  • Montessori Baby-Ed
Whenever you become a new subscriber to my Blog you will immediately receive a welcoming email with the current password for my "Subscriber's Freebie Collection." 

I have a new email platform! If you somehow didn't receive that first email after subscribing, please email me: carolyn@magicalmovementcompany.com.


By now, most parents and educators realize the important and positive effects early music experiences have upon children.

Just in case you need more reasons...
to see my articles on rationale for early music and arts education.

Over the past months, I have been busily updating my website and one of the newest things I added is a Subscriber's Freebie Collection. Many of these free resources have been part of my Montessori Magic Friday series and some were created with my subscribers in mind. 

I felt like I wanted to grow my subscribers list, but even more than that, I wanted to thank all of you who are already subscribing to my email and newsletter updates. 


My list is steadily growing and I so appreciate all of you who do subscribe. Currently, there are more than 7,500 educators on my email list and they include teachers, parents, and administrators from all over the world. 

And, I have also updated my email platform to make it easier for me to send out more timely newsletters and for you to get them. Even though it has taken me a while, I am gradually figuring out the fine tuning of this blogging thing!

HOW TO SET UP YOUR 
MUSICALLY MONTESSORI SHELVES 

So, I wanted to show you just how you can set up a beautiful Montessori music shelf in your environment. Below, I have listed and categorized all of my current free resources ( I am always adding more, too!) 

I hope this helps you see just how important it is to include music as one of your curriculum areas and just how easy it is to set up engaging shelf works for your group. 

Each of my free downloads includes instructions for how to create and use the resources for your children. And, don't forget that I have gazillions of blog articles chock full of Montessori music (and Arts) activities you can access over the school year to keep your music curriculum fun and engaging for the children.

CLICK ON THE LINKS to check out some of my Blog articles about: 





FREE RESOURCES FOR YOUR 
MONTESSORI MUSIC AND ARTS 
CURRICULUM SHELVES
  
BEGIN with my Musically Montessori eBook!



Yes, all these resources are free to my subscribers!


This eBook sells for $12.99 retail. But, my subscribers get it for free! Over 150 pages of Montessori Activities for Music and Movement in your environment. 
Including: 

Some Fun & Musical Practical Life Activities!

A Little About The History of Music in the Montessori Environment


Lots of Montessori “Line” Activities with a Musical Slant!


Focused Listening Games & Their Importance


The “Silence Game” and Developing Body Coordination


Warming Up the Hands, Voice & Breathing for Music Class


Rhythm Echoes, Funny Singing & Learning a New Song


Let's Begin with Echo Singing


Musically Montessori: A Hundred Songs

The First 20 All-Time Favorites from the Montessori Music Room

PLUS ADDITIONAL PRINTABLES:

~ Play Dough Mat: "Make Music Notes to Place on the Staff" 
~ Montessori Style COMMAND CARDS for movement on "The Line"  
~ Command Cards for Music Warm-ups
~ Visuals for Music Circle
~ Word Card for the Little Pony Song

AND, my subscribers can also download my music mp3 version of "The Little Pony Song", which I sing with my groups just about daily! 



PRACTICAL LIFE

~ Every Montessori group usually has a morning greeting song. "Where's Mary" is a sweet little traditional song that I learned from a wonderful teacher years ago in the mountains of North Carolina. My groups love adding fun places where the child is NOT! 

~ My "Make a Musical Shaker Command Cards" are a set of simple picture/ command cards that can be used as a self-directed activity for children to make their own musical shakers from recycled small plastic bottles.

~ The "Musically Montessori Cutting Strips" are some of my favorite shelf activities for a fun musical way to practice using scissors, based on the traditional "Cutting Lines Activities" in the Montessori curriculum.

             


SENSORIAL

~ Montessori blends well with the Orff-Schulwerk Music Education pedagogy. (CLICK HERE to learn more about Orff-Schulwerk) 
I have created 2 packets of Montessori-style activities that are based on a principle part of Orff-Schulwerk...Echo Singing and Echo Rhythms. 

~ The "Echo Singing Song Cards" download has a set of my favorite echo songs for singing with young children. You can print off the cards with the words to the songs and then place them in sheet protectors so they can be added to your Classroom Song Book.  Don't have a Classroom Song Book? You'll see how easy it is to create one with the instructions included in this Activity Pack. 

~ My "Black and White Instrument Matching Cards" offer a fun and musical way for children to refine the visual sense and advance their visual discrimination skills.


PRE-MATH AND LANGUAGE




~ I love the "Gourd Rattle Matching Pattern Cards" because I really love gourd rattles! These cards go well with making gourd rattles! CLICK THE LINK where you can read more about that at my article: "Montessori Magic Friday: Make a Gourd Rattle."

~ My little mp3 recording of one of my groups chanting and drumming the "Cherokee Work Song" goes along with the gourd rattle activities above!   

~ The "Steady Beat Command Cards" are a fun set of cards to place in the environment for children to explore alone or with a small group together. CLICK THE LINK to read the article from my blog: "Musically Montessori: Got Steady Beat? Get My New Vlog!"


~ "Children and Music Go Together" 3-Part Cards are traditional Montessori-style 3-part cards featuring children playing musical instruments. The cards help children develop vocabulary and may even inspire them to play an instrument! 

~ "Instrument Families of the Orchestra" 3-Part Cards are also traditional Montessori-style 3-part cards. This set features the 4 families of the Orchestra instruments: Brass, Strings, Woodwinds, and Percussion.  





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Advertising Disclosure: Magical Movement Company may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. Thanks for your support! 











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Musically Montessori: Children, Swan Lake Ballet and the Orchestra!

DID YOU KNOW THAT TCHAIKOVSKY'S SWAN LAKE BALLET HAS SOME ENGAGING AND BEAUTIFUL MUSIC  TO INTRODUCE YOUNG CHILDREN TO THE ORCHESTRA? 
Read on for some Montessori music activity ideas for your group!
****The content in this article is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form. Check out my Free Resource link at the end of this post so that you can download and create these activities yourself for your group!

Photo from Pixabay

I have recently developed some fun, Focused Listening and Large Movement Activities for little children to discover the music from the orchestral stage. Continue reading to learn more!

INTRODUCE THE COMPOSER
I think Tchaikovsky is one of the best composers for introducing children to all the amazing sounds that the orchestra can produce and to introduce those sounds through stories. 

Photo from Wikipedia

INTRODUCE THE STORY
The story of Swan Lake is filled with magic, and Tchaikovsky made this story into a wonderful ballet that can be presented to little ones in an appropriate way that makes the story short and sweet.

Here are some picture books that tell the ballet story of Swan Lake:

CLICK ON THE LINK to view these on Amazon Books.
This story does mention the "evil sorcerer" and works better for children who are 4 and older. The author researched Tchaikovsky's writing of the ballet and found that he did create a happy ending, so be sure to read the last page!

My groups over the years have poured over this book to the point that it is a bit dog-eared. All the 5 ballets in the book are interesting and presented nicely with actual photos. (important for young children)

I've just recently ordered this book because it is an actual children's picture book story and more appropriate for introducing the ballet to younger children.

PLAY HIGH QUALITY RECORDINGS FOR CHILDREN TO LISTEN TO AND CONNECT MUSICAL CONCEPTS

This is a nice recording of music from Tchaikovsky:
Available at Amazon

I also like these recordings (below) for encouraging children to move and dramatize the ballet story. The "Baby Ballet Class" is not orchestral but it is nicely done piano renditions of Tchaikovsky's music. 

I usually play recordings for about a minute or a little more, since children are not usually able to sustain the attention for much longer than that. You can always go back to the music again at a later time! This one is also available at Amazon:

Available at Amazon


SHOW VISUALS FOR CHILDREN 
TO CREATE MOVEMENT TO THE MUSIC 

I always begin by showing the children a large photo of an Orchestra. We talk about how many people are playing their instruments together and the children often compare this to a "band" of musicians.

Photo from Pixabay

I've also discovered that children need to see a photo of a swan so that they can understand the movements that swans make and this also helps the children understand the quiet mood in parts of the music for this ballet.

Photo from Adobe Stock

After the children have seen the photo of a swan, I show them photos of dancers in poses that might remind us of the swan gliding across the water.


Photo from Adobe Stock

Photo from Adobe Stock

Another photo offers the idea of the swan preparing to fly! This photo can give the children some ideas of how ballet dancers move to mimic these motions in the Swan Lake Ballet.

Photo from Adobe Stock

I also like to show children photos of dancers that might be more familiar to them if they watch music videos on TV. This photo of a hip-hop dancer reminds me of the motion of the swan about to lift off the water and fly.

Photo at Adobe Stock

More photos show dancers in actual Swan Lake productions that will give children more ideas of how dancers move in this ballet.

Photo from Pixabay

I have to include this darling photo of children moving in their own dance class. My groups love to see photos of children their age doing things we are learning about in our music lessons.

Photo from Adobe Stock

If you have feathers, paper, ribbons, and other sparkly materials, you can even create headbands for the children to create Swan Lake costumes for performing their own little ballet presentations in their outdoor playtimes. Here is a vintage photo of a ballerina from Swan Lake.

Photo from Pixabay

PROVIDE AN INDIVIDUALIZED SHELF WORK 
FOR MORE FOCUSED LISTENING FUN
"MAKE A STICK PUPPET"

I created a FREE packet of visuals and templates to download so that you can offer a fun lesson about the Orchestra using the music from the "Swan Lake Ballet." Several activities are designed for the children to listen to short excerpts from the ballet while moving their stick puppets to the mood of the music.  Children can cut out the swan (or other templates of a male dancer and/or a female dancer) and then attach it to a craft stick.  

I invite you to hop over to my MONTESSORI MAGIC FRIDAY post to see more ideas for Swan Lake activities for your group, including MY FREE RESOURCE! You'll find lots of the above visuals and templates for some fun stick puppets in this free activity pack!

CLICK HERE to access my freebie: "Introducing the Orchestra with Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Ballet."


I am working hard on my upcoming Musically Montessori eCourse, "Instruments of the Orchestra", and one of the first lessons is about Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Ballet. I have lots of instruction in the videos along with mp3 music downloads and pdf lesson plans in every one of the 12 lessons in the course. 
COMING SOON!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE and see a sample video.

I am always so very glad to see you here visiting my blog! Thank you for the time and I hope you have gotten some ideas for music with your group!



YOU MIGHT LIKE SOME OF MY OTHER POSTS ABOUT THE INSTRUMENTS OF THE ORCHESTRA. CLICK HERE TO BROWSE THEM!


Advertising Disclosure: Magical Movement Company may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. Thanks for your support! 



















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