Nicole Anderson

Preschool Seminar
9/7/15
Rochelle Hostler
Establishing a Music Circle Time Lesson Plan
Pre-Assessment:
What has happened previously?
-

At my field site, my classroom has a class pet which they are absolutely fascinated
with. They always want to get the job of feeding our class fish. In the mornings, the
class has worked on a greeting song to welcome everyone to the classroom. This
greeting song allows the children to open up more and to become more excited for
what will happen in school that day.

What do you know about these children that will help you plan a meaningful lesson/experience
for them?
-

I know that these individuals really enjoy trying new things and having new
experiences. I also feel that having a popular theme go with the lesson plan (such as
animals), will keep the children interested. I believe that having a music circle time
during morning meeting will be a positive experience for the children in the room.

Objective/Goals:
What do you anticipate the children will learn?
-

I believe that the children will learn why music is so important to have in any
classroom especially in a Montessori school. Music allows for children to express
their ideas and to create their own experiences. Music opens up that artistic side of
their brains that are needed in the earlier years of childhood.

Why have you chosen the book that you have?

-

I chose the musical book, Dinosaur Pet by Neil Sedaka because I wanted to expand
on their love for animals with a fun dinosaur book. The class is also recently learning
the different months throughout the year. I wanted to use a book that will tell all of
the months and what happens in each of them.

Why have you chosen the song that you have?

-

I chose the song, The More We Get Together by an unknown artist because in the
classroom, there is a poster with the Sign Language Alphabet on it. I wanted to
include Sign Language into my lesson in order to better prepare them for the sign
language that they will be learning in the upcoming weeks.

Why have you chosen the fingerplay that you have?

-

I chose the fingerplay, Hey Diddle Diddle by an unknown author because it is a

useful fingerplay when the children need to relax from a new lesson or skill.
Sometimes children get exhausted for frustrated if they dont understand something
new. This fingerplay will relax them in order to get their minds and bodies ready for
the next part of the lesson.

Why have you chosen the CD that you have?

-

I chose the CD, Lets Go Swimming by the Laurie Berkner Band because I wanted
to get the children moving a little bit during morning circle time. Having children sit
still for the whole morning circle meeting is very difficult. Having some movement
for the students will be a better way for them to focus on the lesson.

Preschool Content Standards (Ohio Department of Education:

1. Strand: Engagement and Persistence
Topic: Attention
- Focus on an activity with deliberate concentration despite distractions.
2. Strand: Engagement and Persistence
Topic: Attention
- Focus on the task at hand even when frustrated or challenged.
Means to Collect Assessment Information:
Who is documenting-you or someone else?
-

I will be documenting what I see during the lesson and I will also be writing notes
after the lesson ends.

Have you made them aware of your intent so that they can document effectively for you?
-

I have hinted toward having a lesson plan done about music during morning meeting.
I will give my mentor teacher a copy of my lesson plan days prior to beginning my
lesson.

Will you be photographing, videotaping, note-taking, etc.?

-

I will be note-taking and hopefully have someone taking pictures of this experience as
well.

Supplies/Materials Needed:
-

Notebook

My cell phone (used as camera to take pictures of lesson)

CD-Lets Go Swimming
Musical book-Dinosaur Pet
CD player

Procedure:
Song - The More We Get Together
1. Engage the children by getting their attention (Can everybody see me? Hear me?)
2. Sit criss-cross apple sauce
3. Sing the song and do the sign language alone
4. Explain the song and teach each sign slowly to the class
5. Sing the song as a group
6. Repeat the song And we do it again
Transition Higglety Bigglety Bumblebee
7. Please stand-up and stomp your feet for me
8. Please clap your hands for me
9. And thats the end
CD Lets Go Swimming
10. Tell the children to lay down and listen to the CD and find a good spot to lay not touching
a neighbor.
11. CD plays
12. Repeat song and directions
Transition Higglety Bigglety Bumblebee
13. Please sit down on a letter for me
14. Please clap your hands for me
Fingerplay Hey Diddle Diddle
15. Start rocking side to side until the children repeat the movement
16. I say the words once alone
17. Say the words as a group
18. Repeat two times
19. And thats the end
Transition Higglety Bigglety Bumblebee
20. Please pat your legs for me
21. Please clap your hands for me
Musical Book Dinosaur Pet
22. Play CD and start book
23. Ask questions
- What is the story about?
-

What are the different seasons in the book?

If the dinosaur was getting bigger throughout the year, do the students think that they
will grow throughout the year as well? Why?

Would you like to have more musical books or CDs in the classroom?

24. Bring the classroom to a close to introduce the different activities for work choices time.
25. Thank the students for listening and for trying something new.
END OF THE LESSON!
Reflection:
Song-The More We Get Together
I really enjoyed working on this piece with them. I started out by singing the song with
the sign language on my own and letting the children listen and see what I was doing. Then, I
explained how to do the Sign Language for each part of the song slowly with the group. Half of
the children were participating in the song both with singing and with Sign Language. The other
half of the children were not singing the words, but they were trying to follow the Sign Language
throughout the song. All of the children were engaged with the activity and rocking side-to-side
to the song.
Transition-Higglety Bigglety Bumblebee
Everyone stood up when I asked them to. When I sang for the children to spread out, the
children were not able to do so. They were able to stand up in their space in the circle, but they
were not able to break the circle so that no one was touching each other. Afterwards, I instructed
the class to spread out so that they would not be on top of each other. After saying the
instructions instead of singing them, the children were able to spread out a little bit. Then, I
instructed the children to listen to the CD and started out laying down for the next song to begin.
CD-Lets Go Swimming
When I started the CD, I gave some instructions with the CD in order to help get the class
started with the song. This helped the class move around to the song. As the CD continued and I
sang with the CD at some parts of the song hoping that it would encourage the children to sing
along as well. Sure enough, the children would start to sing along with me. By the end of the
song, all of the children were moving and laughing to the song.
Transition-Higglety Bigglety Bumblebee
The children were all able to sit down on a letter and clap their hands as instructed. I
needed to add on more steps in order to switch out the CDs for the next activity.
Fingerplay-Hey Diddle Diddle
I started out rocking from side-to-side without saying the words to the chant. After a
moment of silence, all of the children started rocking with me. I started the fingerplay completely
after this but no one really said the words with me and after trying the chant one more time, all of
the children have stopped rocking and saying the words with me.

Transition-Higglety Bigglety Bumblebee

Once I started the transition, everyone joined, everyone joined back in and started
clapping their hand and patting their legs, as I grabbed my musical book.
Musical Book-Dinosaur Pet
I introduced the book to the class and started the CD. Throughout the story, I saw that
some of the children were rocking side-to-side with me to the beat of the song. I tried singing
some of the words but no one was singing with me. Everyone was sitting quietly looking at the
story. After the story ended, one child raised his hand and asked me, So, when will you read the
story?
Questions about the musical book
1. What is the story about?
- The kid loves his dinosaur.
- He really loves him.
- The dinosaur went to the grocery store.
2. What are the different seasons throughout the book?
- Snow
- Winter
- Night
- Summer
- Fall
- No one was able to get the last season (spring). This process took a while so this is a
skill that needs to be worked on as a class.
3. If the dinosaur was getting bigger throughout the year, do you think you will grow
throughout the year? Why?
- Yes, I will get bigger to the size of a house!
- Because we will grow up.
- I will not be bi like a dinosaur, but I will still be big.
4. Would you like to have more musical books or songs in class?
- Yes
- I like the snow in the dinosaurs.
- I like the swimming
- I like brushing our teeth
- I like the dinosaur hitting his head on the roof.
The class truly enjoyed this experience and they want more CDs and movement songs. Maybe if
I choose a different slow Fingerplay or another musical book would allow the children to enjoy
the experience more.