Fall Is Coming (Fall is Here)

Jennifer Lorys

Jennifer's Musical Moments

Here is a little song I composed for my four year old student.  It can be used for students three and up. For three-six year olds it can be taught by rote or by note reading (if the student is at note reading level.) For older students who have experience with chordal accompaniment, the music itself can be used as an ear-training and composition tool by having the student create a left hand accompaniment that will work well with the melody! 

Lyrics:
Fall is com-ing.  
What do you see?
Leaves are fall-ing.
What co-lors can they be?

Materials:
1. Fall is Coming (Fall is Here) sheet music.
2. Five leaf cut-outs made of construction paper each with one letter of the musical alphabet written on both sides.  (The colors I used are red, brown, orange, yellow, and green).  Choose which letters you would like to focus on most.

Instructions:
1. Sing the song, two or three time through, and create hand movements to go along with it.
2. Play through the song, teaching the student either by rote or note reading. (For fun, once the student learns the song well, the teacher/parent can add an accompaniment to play along with the student).
3. After playing the song, have the student pick a leaf of his/her choice. (For extra fun, throw the leaf in the air to imitate it falling from a tree!)
4. Have the student play the letter of the chosen leaf on the piano.  For an extra challenge, have the student find each key of the chosen letter from high to low.  This will imitate the leaf falling down from a tree as well.


Do you have other fun ideas to add to this activity?  Can you share some other fun Fall activities for you and your students to do?