Archive for the ‘Music’ category

« Older Entries

Free Music Songbook with Lessons

January 23rd, 2010

Bookmark this category

Hi! It’s Saturday, January 23, 2010 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Utah State Office of Education: Elementary Songbook

A Maryland ClickScholar recommended this website, sponsored by the Utah State Office of Education, that offers a free songbook with lesson plans for teaching elementary music education.

When you get to the site you’ll see the introductory page and menu of songs that include children’s favorites such as:

  • A Tisket, A Tasket
  • Bingo
  • Clementine
  • Down in the Valley
  • Going to the Zoo
  • Hot Cross Buns
  • Itsy Bitsy Spider
  • Kum Ba Yah
  • Take Me Out to the Ball Game
  • This Little Light of Mine
  • ~and many, many more!

Click on any song and a new page opens where you will find the sheet music, lyrics, suggested activities, ideas for playing instruments, curriculum tie-ins, and more. There’s a complete lesson plan for each song listed.

While this online songbook was created with classroom teachers in mind, it can be easily tweaked for use in the homeschool or unschool environment as well.

If you don’t read sheet music, and you’re not sure of a particular tune, you can try to locate it and listen to it on the NIEHS Kids’ Music Pages.

Enjoy!

No comments »

Posted in Music

Musical Arts & Crafts

January 9th, 2010

Bookmark this category

Hi!  It’s Saturday, January 10, 2010 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!
 
Recommended Website:
Artists Helping Kids: Musical Arts & Crafts
http://www.homefires.com/click?musicart

Age Range: 4-16 (tots to teens)
 
If winter weather is keeping you and the kids indoors, this website provides free instructions on how to make your own musical instruments that will help everyone pass the time more happily.

When you get to the site, scroll down the page slightly to the menu of possibilities that includes:

  • African Drums
  • Bells on a String
  • Bongo Drums
  • Bagpipes
  • Tambourines
  • Guitar
  • Cymbals
  • Didgeridoo
  • Maracas
  • Castanets
  • Kazoo
  • Rainstick
  • Banjo
  • Flute
  • Oboe
  • ~ and many more!

Best of all, many of these instruments can be made by recycling things you’ll find around the house such as coffee cans, bottle caps, oatmeal boxes, paper plates, tissue paper, straws, combs, pie tins, etc.

Not only that, many of the instruments offer cross-curricular connections with Social Studies.  There are instruments for celebrating cultural holidays and religious festivals. 

Click on any item on the menu and a new page opens with information about the instrument, a materials list, and complete instructions with pictures. In some instances you’ll find how-to video clips.

When you’re through making a joyful noise, be sure to check out the rest of the site that offers innumerable ways to express creativity that are sure to dispel winter doldrums.

Enjoy!

 

No comments »

Posted in Music

Special Message from Diane Flynn Keith

October 25th, 2009

Special Message from Diane Flynn Keith

Hi,

I have exciting news! The new, second edition of my book, “Carschooling: Over 350 Entertaining Games and Activities To Turn Travel Time Into Learning Time” is now available at my completely revised and updated website, http://www.Carschooling.com!

To complement the new edition of the “Carschooling” book and website, I have created a brand new version of the “Carschooling Ezine.”

Today, October 25th, is the launch date for the FIRST ISSUE that includes a free, monthly “Carschooling Calendar” for November – so you can learn history on the go! Plus it contains recommendations for terrific resources to help you turn your kids into “Road Scholars”!

To subscribe, go to http://www.Carschooling.com and enter your name and email address in the blue box form at the top, right corner of the page.

IMPORTANT: Even if you have subscribed in the past, you must re-subscribe to get the new version of the “Carschooling Ezine.”

Those who subscribe, will be rewarded with my free, handy-dandy “Carschooling Games & Activity Chart” with backseat brain-boosters that will bring miles of smiles to everyone in your car! Print it out and tuck it into the glove compartment for instant access to road trip learning fun!

Don’t miss the first issue of the “Carschooling Ezine” that will be published later today.

AND GET YOUR COPY OF MY BOOK,”CARSCHOOLING” TO MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY MILE. Just visit: http://www.Carschooling.com

Diane

Diane Flynn Keith, Author of Carschooling

Publisher of ClickSchooling

—————————————————-

Are You The Parent of a Preschooler? You’ll Love Universal Preschool’s Learning Calendar! It’s chock-full of fun, easy activities & time-saving resources for learning with little ones all year long! Get your copy today… http://www.homefires.com/store/uplearning.asp

No comments »

Posted in Art, Electives, Foreign Language, Language Arts, Math, Music, Science, Social Sciences

Free Downloadable Kids Music

October 17th, 2009

Recommended Website:
Free Kids Music

This website offers an archive of FREE, legal, high-quality children’s music MP3 downloads that you can play on your computer, MP3 player, or burn to a CD for personal use. (Great for Carschooling!)

Many of the songs you’ll find on this site are from talented, independent children’s music artists. These are complete songs — not samples. As the website explains, the artists post free music downloads here to introduce you to their music with the hope that if you like what you hear, you’ll book them for a gig or buy their album.

When you get to the site you’ll see the featured tunes in the center of the screen. (Careful, this is a Google Ad supported site, and the ads are woven throughout the text. It can be a little confusing and you may wind up clicking on an ad, instead of a song for download. This is a minor inconvenience – just hit the back button to return to the home page.)

Use the menu on the right side of the page to view:

  • Contemporary — Use the alphabetical listing of artists to find songs by them that you want to download. Again, you may not recognize the names of these artists or bands (for example, Oren and the Hiccups) – but you’re sure to have fun getting to know them and their music. :)
  • Traditional — Select classic children’s songs by title to download, such as “The Alphabet Song,” “Do Your Ears Hang Low,” “Found A Peanut,” “Frere Jacques,” “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” “Kumbaya,” “This Little Light of Mine,” and many more.

In either category, pick a song title and a new page opens where you can read the lyrics and chords and download the MP3.

Oh, and if you happen to be a children’s music artist, click on “For Artists” and find out how to get your music featured on this site.

No comments »

Posted in Music

Free Art & Music Interactives & Much More!

September 19th, 2009

Recommended Website:
Toy Theater

Age Range 4-10 (Grades PreK-5)

This website offers all kinds of interactive games for learning art, music and more. It was recommended by Maaria Hoagland, the wife of the website designer. She wrote, “My husband has spent many years creating ToyTheater.com as a free and quality educational website for PreK through Grade 5. It is completely free and will remain that way. We want children to learn!”

Because this is Saturday and “Electives Day” at ClickSchooling, I focused on Art and Music for this review. When you get to the site, you’ll see a menu that includes:

  • Art — Your child can use interactive online media to draw, color, make collages, create animations and more.
  • Music — Your child will have fun composing music, creating drum beats, and using a virtual puppet to play piano tunes.

Just click on either topic and a new page opens with a selection of activities that will engage and entertain your kids.

Then, when you are through having fun and learning with Art and Music, get ready to explore the MAIN CONTENT on this site that is archived in these menu items:

  • Math — Play a variety of interactive games that teach kids about patterns, matching, shapes, counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, time, algebra and more.
  • Reading — Enjoy an animated alphabet, learn to type and practice keyboard skills, read a few jokes, play a crossword puzzle, or create your own road signs. All of these activities are designed to enhance language arts skills.

You’ll also find puzzles and games at the site — so be sure to bookmark it to return often.

———————————–

Are You The Parent of a Preschooler? You’ll Love Universal Preschool’s Learning Calendar! It’s chock-full of fun, easy activities & time-saving resources for learning with little ones all year long! Get your copy today…

No comments »

Posted in Art, Language Arts, Math, Music

ClickSchooling Resource: Celebrate “Not Back to School” With Johnny Appleseed

August 23rd, 2009

Hi!

How are you planning to kick-start the “Not Back To School” year?

Our family marked the beginning of each new “Not Back To School” year by taking a trip to the Gizdich Apple Ranch in Watsonville, California. We took a tour of the facility, learned all about the apple-agri business, and saw apples crushed to make cider. Then, we headed into the apple orchards to pick a 1/2 bushel of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Pippin apples. After picking apples, we’d go to the barn where they served delicious apple pie and apple dumplings – yum!

Our annual homeschool ritual tied in nicely with the birthday of John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed) on September 26th. We’d listen to his biography on CD, make apple recipes, and do craft activities with apples. My sons eventually outgrew the apple crafts – but they loudly objected when I suggested they may have outgrown our annual tradition. Even as teens they enjoyed the family trek to pick apples in September! :)

I thought some of you might want to adopt a similar tradition – or just learn more about American History through the engaging facts, legends, and lore of Johnny Appleseed!

As I mentioned, Johnny Appleseed’s birthday is September 26th – and you and your family can get a head start on the celebration with….

HOMEFIRES’ JOHNNY APPLESEED CURRICULUM!

This innovative and educational 48-page eBook by homeschool mom Fran Wisniewski (and edited by yours truly) is designed for kids in grades K-7 – and the whole family will enjoy the learning activities. This eBook includes:

  • An accurate account of the life and times of Johnny Appleseed
  • Folk legends and lore about Johnny Appleseed
  • Illustrations and pictures
  • The history of early pioneers and apple orchards in the U.S.
  • Fun and fascinating apple-themed projects
  • Lesson plans in language arts, math, and geography
  • Hands-on apple science experiments
  • Apple recipes and craft ideas!

Click on the array of embedded links in the resource pages to visit other Johnny-themed websites with apple coloring books, art projects, songs, books, games, links to you-pick apple orchards, and more.

Celebrate educational freedom and kick off the “Not Back To School” year with fun activities that will jump-start learning all year long!

Get more info on this Homefires’ exclusive here:

http://www.homefires.com/store/appleseed.asp

Happy Homeschooling!

Diane

Diane Flynn Keith
Editor, Homefires.com
ClickSchooling List Owner

———————————–

Are You The Parent of a Preschooler? You’ll Love Universal Preschool’s Learning Calendar! It’s chock-full of fun, easy activities & time-saving resources for learning with little ones all year long! Get your copy today.

No comments »

Posted in Art, Language Arts, Math, Music, Science, Social Sciences

Tags: