I love this idea from http://heidispianonotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/piano-preschool-lapbooks.html
I was so inspired that I tweaked it and created some of my own elements. If you have young piano students ages 3-5 this folder is filled with great beginning music ideas.
Some of the elements are from Layton music’s website http://laytonmusic.wordpress.com/2007/12/23/musical-alphabet-flashcards/ You could spend hours just noodling around on there for free downloads! Awesome.
I’ll post a few of my own downloads at the end of this blog post for you.
So first you have the paper piano where students can identify the sets of two and three black keys. I use cylindrical foam shapes that I found in $1.00 bin at Walmart. Students then color in the black keys. (Download at the end)
My favorite element is the music alphabet flash cards from Layton. Your students should glue them into the booklet so they won’t get lost. Here’s a few activities I created to go with them:
To the tune of the ABC song sing
ABCDEFG these are the notes on the piano keys.
There’s no H I J or K . Only seven notes lead the way.
ABCDEFG these are the notes on the piano keys. – Joleen Steel 2013
It is also super helpful for your students to be able to say the piano alphabet backwards so here’s a song for that.
To the tune of London Bridge:
GFEDCBA, CBA, CBA
GFEDCBA the piano keys backwards
I can play them up and down, up and down, up and down
I can play them up and down, But I like them best backwards.
GFEDCBA, CBA, CBA
GFEDCBA the piano keys backwards! -Joleen Steel 2013
So I added a manilla mailing pouch to the back of the folder. Inside I placed our finger numbers page and staff lines page. I was so excited to see that the foam cylinders are super easy to flick off of the page.
It’s a great muscle building activity! Show student the correct hand posture and then instruct them to make a small clock-wise circular motion with their finger and try to flick the foam shape off the page.
Switch it up and use a small lego and instruct student to make a counter-clockwise circular motion to bring the raisin in under their hand. Here’s a link to a little video of my seven year old son trying it out.
So the last element I’ll share with you today is the five lines and four spaces House I created.
The concept that often seems so difficult to communicate to young children is counting lines from the bottom up. Using a visual like this little house helps students think about bottom to top. Once you’ve talked about the first line starting at the bottom of the house and the last line ending at the roof line of the house you’ll have a place of reference for future reminders.
I love your music ABC song lyrics!
Thanks, they just came to me one day when I was trying to figure out how to teach the piano alphabet to 4 and 5 year olds.