[melissa]

I love incorporating music as a way to connect with my students and see where they are at developmentally. For instance, I will often sing “The Wheels on the Bus” with my students at circle time. Some of the younger students will pantamime the wheels turning or the honking of the horn, but will not be able to sing the lyrics at the same time. That tells me where they are developmentally. However, using the same song I will notice the older students being about to mime and sing at the same time. Music is a wonderful teaching tool!

[Kira]

For music, I love to incorporate different types of songs, including call-and-repeat, hand play, and movements that mimic the lyrics. Some fun differentiation can be call-and-repeat for the 3 year olds and then making up your own rhyming endings for the older children, such as making up new endings to “Down by the Bay” or “Pickup Sticks.” *Sorry if this is a repost. My computer froze when I tried to post my first response.