Teaching 4-6 year olds to sing
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    I've directed a schola for an EF Missa Cantata every Sunday for three years now, and we have a group of home schooling parents who have asked me to teach them and their 4-6 year olds a weekly one hour session of Latin prayers and singing. These are kids who are in the Mass every week, and who hear the chants and (sometimes very loudly) vocalise along with us. I see this as a golden opportunity to start the young ones singing.

    I have no formal training for this sort of thing, although I do teach their older siblings (11-14 years old) Latin and Greek. I was looking at the Ward materials online, but they don't read yet, so that's out.

    Any suggestions?
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    Yeesh, I'd say, "Call me when they're seven . . . " An hour is a long time for that age; I'd do a half-hour tops, though again, they're still pretty young, especially if you don't have experience teaching this age group. A few years ago, I had a Children's Schola, and I put the minimum age at 8. A mom talked me into taking her two boys, 6 and 5, and it was *very* difficult.

    Others?
  • Ruth Lapeyre
    Posts: 341
    Well a one hour session will be a little long for those who are very young. Children of that age might be able to give you attention for 15 minutes but probably not much longer. I would choose one or two simple chants and have them learn those, the more rhythmic like Jesu Dulcis Memoria, a nice Ave Maria. You might want to check out this resource as it was written with 4th graders in mind and has a number of simple chants included at the end. I don't suggest you try to teach the music theory of Gregorian Chant but she includes a collection of chants you might find useful. http://www.musicasacra.com/pdf/goodchild.pdf

    Good luck
  • Abbot Jonathan CoelAbbot Jonathan Coel
    Posts: 167
    Half hour session is max! Basic beginning music note reading / theory is a good idea too; notes and rests, musical signs and symbols. I would also suggest the following rehearsal format

    1) Begin with the RSCM Chorister's Prayer
    2) The Stand and Sit Game (high note(s) means stand, low note(s) means sit - this develops listening and focus)
    3) Then have them learn / practice yawning
    4) Practice hooting like an Owl
    5) Next, have them sing the tune "America" on "loo" starting in G Major (eventually you will go to A major and then C major) - NO WORDS
    6) Basic Musical Signs and Symbols time
    7) Chant time - I would beginning with the "Sanctus XVIII" and "Adoro te devote" on "loo" - NO WORDS yet. Always learn the melody / tune first and then words.
    8) HYMN - maybe a good old solid traditional Catholic hymn at this time? ("loo" only)
    9) Conclude with the RSCM Chorister's Prayer (change the "tense" of the subject, ( . . . what we HAVE sung with our lips . . . )
    10) At this stage, I use to end a rehearsal with a little, fun, simple folksong to have them leave smiling, (Funniculi, Funnicula, or Polly Wolly Doodle, etc).

    (This is just a suggested routine) GOOD LUCK and GOD BLESS!
  • AngelaRAngelaR
    Posts: 309
    Yep, half an hour tops. I've worked with preschoolers at my school, and that is the max on attention span. I would also suggest plenty of pitch-matching games. They need to learn how to listen for a good tone, and to recognize when they individually are matching, and when they are not. Here is one of many like it that you can find in Kodaly and Ward books: "Cuckoo" Everyone covers their eyes (face down on the floor is best). Teacher sings, "I hear a cuckoo, cuckoo, where are you?" (do-la-re-do-la, do-la-do-do-la) while touching one child on the head. That child raises his/her head and sings back "Here I am" (do-do-la). The children have to decide who it is. Then ask the class how well the child matched you. Also check the Ward I book's appendix for some excellent tips on helping a child match pitch when he has difficulty.

    As far as teaching the songs, it is helpful to have a variety of exercises in mind to teach them -- one or two exercises per class, and be patient with slow (but thorough!) learning. Examples include teacher singing on "loo" short phrases of the song, and asking individuals to compare them as "same" or "different"; asking kids to identify the highest note in a very short phrase and stand up for it; asking only those kids who match pitch fairly well to sing the phrase with words after you have sung it (and remark how well they match) before inviting the entire class to sing the same phrase; dividing the class into groups, and only one group sings the phrase while standing as the other group listens sitting.

    The key is to keep them moving -- up, down, listening, singing. Constantly. One exercise can't last more than a few minutes, if that. Good luck! It can be a very rewarding group. It is good to start them young.
  • AngelaRAngelaR
    Posts: 309
    They also love it when just a couple are singled out to model something for the class. This also helps tremendously with behavior. They'll pay better attention if they know they are likely to be called to do something. And if they start whining that you didn't call on them, you can say in a chant-like rhythm, "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit."
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    Wonderful ideas, everyone! Thanks very much!
  • AngelaRAngelaR
    Posts: 309
    Keep us posted how it goes. I'm very curious. I've worked a lot with the age group, but have done no chant with them. :)
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