Faith (song from the Children's Songbook)

I was released as Primary Music Leader several years ago, but I still see posts on the Facebook page and noticed that many of the songs I taught are back again.  So I looked through the list and decided that I should post the flipcharts that I made those years ago so new leaders can use them an not "re-invent the wheel" as one commenter put it.

The song "Faith" on page 96 of the Children's Songbook is on the list for April (2023) so I pulled out my flipchart for it.  As I looked at it, I realized that I had forgotten many of words, especially since my flipchart has very few words to help me. Then I remembered that I there were many children in Junior Primary, most of whom did not yet read.  So I set out to make a flipchart with few words and mostly pictures that would help them remember the words I taught them to sing.  I also was trying to have as few pages as possible to save on ink and page turning.  I only put "Faith is knowing" once on each page because it is repeated for the second line again so I would just point to the same words and the kids knew even those that couldn't read that we were repeating the same words.  

What I don't have anymore, because I left it in the Primary closet for future leaders, is a poster I made where I had a sun that started at the bottom of the poster on a string that went to the top and through the poster to the back where I could pull it and show the sun rising.  Same thing with a seedling accordion folded at the bottom that would "grow" as I pulled the string.  Kids loved coming up to be the helper who got to pull the strings!  I don't remember the rest of the poster and unfortunately it is no longer in the closet.

I love teaching this song to children because the gospel principles are so important and the imagery is powerful and memorable.

You can find my flipchart here:  Faith (few words, 2 pages)

We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet

May (2018) is another "choose your own song" month for Primary music leaders.  Then in the Outline for Sharing Time they have Helps for the music leader (see May on page 11) and it shows wordstrips for "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet."

I chose to teach that song for May, but I have so many junior primary kids that don't read, I wanted to use pictures instead.  So I started gathering pictures - but what kind of picture do you get for "we thank thee?"  After thinking about it for a while, I chose a combination of words and pictures.  I realized that it's the same words for each line (almost) - "we thank thee," and that the kids can learn to recognize that repeating phrase even though they don't read.  Anyway, here is what I came up with, I hope it can help someone else too.  Just cut each page into four, or don't, it's up to you.

You can find my "word/picture" cards here:  We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet

You can also find my shortened version (2 page horizontal flip chart) here:  We Thank Thee (flip)

An Angel Came to Joseph Smith

April is "choose your own song" month for Primary.  I chose "An Angel Came to Joseph Smith."  I taught the children some rhythm clapping since this song switches from 3/4 to 2/4 twice in each verse.  Once we got the rhythm down, the song came pretty quickly.  I also had them sing "The Golden Plates" which goes right along with this song and helps the children really understand that the golden plates are the Book of Mormon (see my handout for The Golden Plates).

You can find my flipchart here:  An Angel Came to Joseph Smith

Because God Loves Me

A perfect song to teach the primary children to go along with this year's theme of "I Am a Child of God" is the song, "Because God Loves Me."  It's only two short verses and goes perfectly with this month's theme of the Creation.  I usually do my flipcharts landscape, but this one fit much better in portrait.  I had fun teaching the first verse one week, then asking the kids if it sounded like we were through.  They had to listen again then I received a resounding "no." But then I told them they had to wait to hear the rest of the song next time.  Awesome cliffhanger of sorts.

You can find my flipchart here:  Because God Loves Me