Sharon Burch

Freddie Bingo!

From Katie Hubbard:

Thanks to your adventures, the kids at my school are really learning their note names!

As an add-on to the flashcards, I created a bingo game. I show them them the flashcard and then they cover the correct letter name on their bingo card with a marker. Of course, using clip-art from the teacher book, I added both you and Eli to the bingo cards as well! I can use this for the treble clef or the bass clef since A-G can be found in both clefs or mix them up for an additional challenge.
I’ll let you know how it goes!
Thanks again for all the fun,
Katie Hubbard
Valencia, California

27 January 2013 · Comments

Taming the Wild - “THAT” class…

Of course, everyone’s situation is different, but this is what I do whenever I have one of those “wild” classes consistently arriving at my door and it works for me. 

1. I go to the elementary classroom and meet them as they are lining up at their door.

2. I quietly wait until they are all in line and then I calmly announce something special that is going to happen in music, or a surprise, or Freddie has a surprise, or Freddie wants to play a game, or etc.

3. Then I say, but everyone has to “do their job” from this point all the way to their music seat, in order to _______in music.  Can you tell me what “your job” is?  What do you think that you have to do between now and your music seat?  (Wait on responses: quiet, walk, hands to yourself, etc.)

4.  Yes!  Let’s try it. But everyone time someone forgets, we will stop, and try it again.

The first time that I do this with an unruly, out-of-control class, we spend however much time it takes until they are moving from point A to point B respectfully and as we discussed.  I just quietly lead the line back to their starting point in their room and try it again, and again, until they get the idea.  No temper on my part.  Calm and firm. 

Once they successfully make it through the hall and to their music seat in your room, be ready to give the first direction of the day.  Maintain that control by controlling the action.

The next time they have music, meet them at their door again.  Ask them the same question, and begin.  It won’t take nearly as long for them to remember and realize that, “oh, this is what we have to do when we go to music.”  By the third time, they will have it.  Keep it consistent, always meet them at their door when they are lining up, and know exactly what you are doing next when arriving in your room.

It’s basically practicing the desired behavior.  You may need to adjust your time schedule by a few minutes for that class, but it will be worth the effort, and the minutes that you have left will be more productive.  No wasted time once they are in your room.

15 January 2013 · Comments

• Tags
• classroom management
• elementary music
• music teachers

Freddie idea from Pennsylvania

I just did the first Freddie lesson with my 1st graders last week and they are asking and asking if Freddie is “hiding” in my room. For the first few lessons I hide him somewhere as an incentive for them to come in quietly so they don’t “scare” him. It’s pretty funny!! I hide him in all kinds of crazy places and sometimes pretend I can’t find him…I LOVE MY JOB!!! ;O)

Freddie is the only puppet I use in my teaching because I didn’t always feel comfortable “acting” with puppets. I never felt I had the gift for it but because I’m the only one who can “hear” Freddie, it’s so easy!!

Michelle Taylor
Music Educator Grades 1-6
Conestoga and Eshleman Elementary Schools
Penn Manor School District

Thanks for sharing, Michelle!

25 October 2012 · Comments

Freddie The Frog® iPad App: FREE or PRO?

If you want to try the app, download the free version of Freddie the Frog®. Then unlock the rest with in-app purchases.

If you want it completely unlocked, purchase the Freddie the Frog® Pro version for $4.99.

FOR TEACHERS with MULTIPLE IPADS.

If your school has multiple iPads, take advantage of the Apple Education Volume Purchasing Program. It is free for a school to sign up and it allows multiple copies of the same app to be downloaded in one iTunes account. (You are unable to download multiple copies of the free app in one account.)

Plus, it is an automatic 50% discount on 20 or more downloads of the Freddie The Frog® Pro App! That’s $2.50 per app completely unlocked!

Click here to see more about the app!

http://www.freddiethefrog.com/app.php

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/freddie-the-frog-pro/id561565438?mt=8

24 October 2012 · Comments

• Tags
• music education
• freddie the frog
• freddie the frog app
• freddie the frog pro app
• music education apps
• best music education apps

Great Thump in the Night Review from Faye Boyer!

Shared by Faye Boyer, a fabulous teacher in Houston County, Georgia.  Great idea for review!

Week 2 with Freddie TheFrog: To review … Thump in the Night, each student places the anchors (Freddie & Eli’s houses) on top and bottom line of floor staff, then numbers, colored pages, letter names, ASL hand signs, and colors (boomwhacker colors) in each of the 4 spaces. We use this “chart” as a resource as we play FREDDIE’S SPACE MANIA: Place 6 each of green, purple, red and yellow hula hoops on the floor. Teacher calls a color, setting, letter, number or shows ASL handsign. The students must step into the corresponding colored hoop, with no more than 4-in-a-hoop to stay in the game. Did I mention there is no talking? Once out, you become a judge. Grade 2, each judge removes a resource from the chart. Ooooh, more challenging. As the game progresses, rules change to no more than 3, 2, or 1, and countdown from 10, then 5 then 3. We have so much fun. The students groan when it’s time to leave.
Week 3: Learning centers - Freddie’s Space Bingo; Coloring Pages, Website Games, Board Games and more. Pictures and details next week.

20 October 2012 · Comments

Kudos to Freddie from NJ

12 September 2012 · Comments

Treble Clef Game Idea

Thanks, Katie, for sharing!!  Sounds like learning fun!

After reading Thump In the Night, I love to have my kids BE Freddie. We use my carpet staff as our map and students line up in four or five lines below the staff. Then I call out a spot on Treble Clef Island and the first person in each line jumps to that spot. I call it one more spot, have that same group of “Freddies” hop there, then ask them to hop to the back of their lines and the next group of Freddies gets their turn. Students love this every year! It is easier now that I have a rug with a staff printed on it, but I also did this activity by using colorful masking tape on my carpet and creating my own staff. I even used a large cardboard box to create a treble clef that fits on the staff and hangs on the wall as decor when not being used. 

Created and shared by Katie Krueger

12 September 2012 · Comments

1st Day Success Music Lesson for Kdg

Works EVERY year!

Day 1.

Kindergarten:

Kids sit on the floor facing me at the front of the room.
Meet Freddie the Frog.
Freddie is shy and a little scared. We help Freddie feel more comfortable by learning his song. “Hello, Freddie” (Tune of “Where is Thumbkin.” Listen to audio.)
Freddie is happy and asks the kids if they would sing it every time they come to music.
Freddie wants to tell them a story. I tell him that I’m sorry, but we don’t have time. We’ll have to share it next time.
Freddie wants to play a game. ”The Top” by Bizet (Bizet, GeorgesJeux d’Enfants :La Toupie (The Top)
Explain what the toy, a top, is and act it out.
Direct each student to find their own circle space in the room and look at me, hands at their side.
Listen for the music to tell them three things: 1. Spin, 2. wobble, wobble and fall down, 3. Get up
Using the orchestral music and their music ears, do what the music tells them.
Ask kids to sit in their circle.
Turn off the lights and pretend to be in the ocean.
Each child is sea grass growing on the ocean floor (hands and elbows together, swaying in the water in front of them).
I’m (teacher) a fish swimming through the sea grass in the ocean. When I sing their name, “poof”, that child is no longer sea grass but becomes part of my fish by hanging on behind me.
At the Bottom of the Sea

At the bottom of the sea

All the fish are swimming.

Here and there and everywhere,

Oh, ________, _________, we love you. (repeat with new name)

Our fish continues to get bigger until every name is sung. (Sing the names in the order of their seating assignments.)
Seat students in their assigned music seat.
Play “Scramble”
Explain that every time they come to music to always sit in the same place. Game.
When I say “scramble” they all get up and walk anywhere, but can’t touch.
When I begin to count, see how fast they can get back to their music seat without touching anyone.
Stand, turn in direction of the line and leave to give Freddie a hug and return to their class room.

17 August 2012 · Comments

Woohoo! The Freddie the Frog iPad App is here and doing well!

If you haven’t checked it, go to the App store on your iPad and search for “Freddie the Frog.”  Free download.  Rave reviews so far! 

If you find any bugs, email them to me at sharon@freddiethefrogbooks.com.

So far, it is only available on the iPad.  Android in the future.  But… you can play some of the games on the Android at the website, www.FreddieTheFrog.com.

29 July 2012 · Comments

The Mirror Game - MAGIC Classroom Management and Fun!

THE MIRROR GAME

If you have never played the “ mirror game” with your students, you are missing out on instant classroom control magic.  Kids love this game and, once established, it is an incredible efficient use of time.  It also prepares your kids for silent instruction in the previous and following steps.

Rules of the Mirror Game:

1.  Teacher is the “leader,” and students are the teacher’s giant mirror.

2. Rules to establish before beginning.  Ask the students the following questions:

a.     “Do mirrors talk?” (no)

b.     “Do mirrors echo?” (no)

c.     Say, “The better you are, the more I will try to trick you.”

3. Begin by putting both hands up and in front of your body as a starting signal.  Hold your position until everyone is doing the same.

4. Start with both hands and arms doing the same thing, such as leaning to the right slowly with your hands still in front of you.

5. As they catch on and are silently being a mirror, switch to one arm or hand doing something different than the other, make silly faces, etc.   Increase the difficulty to make it fun.  I typically pull my hands apart like I am going to clap, and then pass the hands by each other without clapping.  A few kids typically predict a clap and giggles abound when a few clapped.

6. Announce “Game Over.”

7. Explain that throughout the story, or sometimes in the middle of the song, you will suddenly play the “mirror game.”  (This works like a dream when preparing for performances.  Teach the actions, but also let them know that you are playing the mirror game during a performance so that all actions are synchronized.)

6 March 2012 · Comments