Dear Little Stars Families,
If you haven’t guessed, music is the curriculum focus in the Little Stars this month. And how much fun we’re having! The Little Stars teachers collected small cardboard boxes for several weeks to make guitars. Each child painted a box (for the body) and a rectangular piece of cardboard (for the fretboard), then the teachers helped put the guitars together with tape, rubber bands (for the strings), and yarn. The children have been playing their guitars in the classroom to a soundtrack of favorite songs and recently performed “We Are Family” (with Fred on his own guitar) for the Bears and Rainbows at a school gathering. In the classroom, they have also been taking turns standing “on stage” (a piece of brown construction paper on the circle rug) declaring they are “Rock Stars” as they launch into “Allentown,” “Three Little Birds,” and “Twist and Shout.” Aside from their guitars, the Little Stars recently made tambourines out of paper plates, dried beans, staples, colored tape, and paint. The tambourines are a lot of fun as well as the children shake them to their songs. Quick reminder: If you haven’t sent in a favorite family song yet, please do so soon. Thanks!
The Little Stars have also been reading some wonderful books about music, including “Charlie Parker Played Be Bop” by Chris Raschka, a delightful narrative that captures the rhythms and repetitions of jazz. (It was reportedly inspired by a recording of Parker’s “A Night in Tunisia.”) The teachers followed the reading by playing some Charlie Parker music for the Little Stars, and the children excitedly identifyed the different instruments they heard. Another book they read was “Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin,” which introduces many of the instruments heard in an orchestra, written by Lloyd Moss with engaging pictures by Marjorie Priceman. We are eagerly awaiting Margaret playing some violin for the children very soon.
Some music-inspired art done by the Little Stars includes drawing to music. The teachers gave the Little Stars paper and markers and put on music for them to listen to. The children were then instructed to move their markers according to the tempo of the music – fast or slow. The Little Stars listened so carefully and really enjoyed moving their markers and creating drawings to the different speeds. Please check out their drawings on the wall above the sand table. The Little Stars also made a group picture of musical notes with colored tape, with each length of tape representing how loud their musical note would be. This picture is displayed by the rug area – be sure to take a look.
Have a great week, and stay tuned for an upcoming notice about preparing and dressing your child for outdoor water play starting the second week of July..
Cheers,
Martha