A Child's Prayer

When I started teaching primary music many years ago, I was genuinely surprised at how much the children loved the song "A Child's Prayer." I had not learned it growing up (of course I grew up way before the Children's Songbook came out) and so was unfamiliar with it.

A few years later when I started to teach it as part of the program that year, I didn't really love the pictures the previous chorister had used, so I made up my own flipchart.  It was fairly easy to teach since most of the older kids already knew it, but I wanted the littles to be able to learn it and have helps to sing along.

I made the second part just one page with fewer pictures since that is the part we have the adults in the room sing.

You can find my flipchart here:  A Child's Prayer

Jesus Once Was a Little Child

This is a song I remember well from my childhood and I think every child should be taught, especially the second verse.  At first I was worried about some of the words, especially "vexed" since they are not common anymore, but the kids really got them after a little discussion and especially loved saying vexed!

It's such a fun way to teach children especially important principles - Jesus was a child like me so he understands me, a little child should be pure & meek & mild, even children can learn not to get mad when things don't go our way, telling the truth is important.

I worked hard to find just the right pictures for this one, pictures that the children would identify with and would quickly and easily portray these principles - especially "vexed."

You can find my flipchart here:  Jesus Once Was a Little Child

Praise to the Man (vs. 1-3)

Several years ago I taught the primary children "Praise to the Man" verses 1 & 3. I was a little nervous that the words would be too hard or that they wouldn't understand.  I'm not sure how much they really understood all the words, but THEY LOVED IT!  

With a little explanation of some of the words and phrases, they were able to learn the words, we kept the tempo upbeat and the kids really enjoyed singing this song.

You can find my flipchart here:  Praise to the Man 

Dearest Mother, I Love You

Here's a sweet little song for Mother's Day which is quick to teach and easy for the kids to learn: "Dearest Mother, I Love You" (page 206b of the Children's Songbook).  It also lends itself to very well to easy hand movements if you want to do that.  Practice for a couple of minutes each week for three weeks before Mother's Day and you are probably good to go.

It makes me sad that some leaders don't want to teach Mother's Day songs in case some child doesn't have a living mother, or their mother is not "kind and true" or for whatever other reason.  I feel that we should be teaching children what the ideal of motherhood is, so that if their situation isn't currently ideal, they have something to strive for in their own life.  They may also see and appreciate these qualities in some "mothering" person in their life whether it is an aunt, grandma, teacher or neighbor.

Please don't deprive mothers or other mothering person the wonderful opportunity of seeing their little precious one singing in church on Mother's Day.  If they don't ask you to have your Primary sing, please ask them.

You can find my flipchart here, complete with sample signs you can use:  Dearest Mother, I Love You

Gethsemane (by Melanie Hoffman)

I was asked by my Primary President to teach "Gethsemane" to the primary children this year.  And I was delighted to to find that the Church put this song out in the March 2018 Friend Magazine, so there was no worry about getting it approved or purchasing music. 

I love the sing-along video that the Church put up on their website (https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2018-03-0020-gethsemane?category=sing-along-videos&lang=eng) and I'm planning on showing it in primary to introduce the song.  There were a few flipcharts online that I was able to find, but all in portrait mode.  So, of course, I made my own version that is landscape mode so I can put it in my binder and hang it over my music stand.

You can find my flipchart here:  Gethsemane

I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus

One of my favorite Primary songs is "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus" and I loved teaching it to the children last year.  I used mostly pictures from the Children's Songbook to make my flipchart.  I tried to use very few words, mostly because the Juniors can't read much anyway and the Seniors mostly knew the song.  I tried to use pictures that helped them remember the words and what they mean.

You can find my flipchart here:  I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus

The Miracle

It is so great that the song "The Miracle" by Shawna Belt Edwards was published in The Friend in June 2018 so that we can now teach it in Primary!  I must admit that when I watched the sing-along video the Church put out I teared up.  And when I actually tried to sing along I full out cried.  This song touched me deeply and I couldn't get it out of my head for days.  I finally decided that I had to teach it for Easter this year.  Then I found a video I love even more - one with the song set to the Church Bible videos which you can find here.

I found a few flipcharts on the internet already, but I really wanted just the right pictures that would bring to mind the words for the children since I have so many little ones that don't read.  This, like all my flipcharts is made to print landscape.  I put the pages in sheet protectors in a binder that I hang over my music stand which is easier for me than holding the binder upright in my hands while trying to lead the music.

You can find my flipchart here:  The Miracle

Baptism (song from the Children's Songbook)

For the first time in four years, I am teaching my Primary children the song "Baptism" from the Children's Songbook.  I gleaned many ideas for my flipchart from around the internet and Facebook and decided on my favorite pictures to help the children learn this song.

You can find my flipchart here:  Baptism Flipchart

I Will Be Valiant

A great song to go with the theme for September 2018 is "I Will Be Valiant."  It is a fun, upbeat song that the kids should know.  If you have time to slip in this song while practicing for your Primary Sacrament Meeting Program, this is a great choice.

You can find my flipchart here:  I Will Be Valiant Flipchart

Families Can Be Together Forever

The Primary song for July is "Families Can Be Together Forever" which may already be familiar to a lot of Primary children.  To aid in teaching the new younger children, I created a flipchart.  I plan to cut out the pictures and post them around the room, leaving a blank spot in the pages.  This way they can figure out which picture goes with which page/words.  It should be a fun review for those that know it and a good teaching opportunity to teach the words to those who don't.

You can find my flipchart here:  Families Can Be Together Forever

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

My Mother Dear

A sweet little song for Mother's Day - "My Mother Dear" is pretty quick for primary children to learn.  Be sure to teach them that in this song "bright" means smart (not bright like the sun), mothers have to know and do a lot to raise their children.

This flipchart has pictures for the little ones and words for readers and teachers and any children who come the day of performance who haven't been to church to learn it.  I first used just the pictures (printed bigger and separately) placed around the room and had the kids find the pictures while listening to the song and figure out the order of the pictures. You may be able to sing through it a few times while they work this out.  Then I use the chart to practice once or twice a week until we sing it in Sacrament Meeting on Mother's Day.

You can find my flipchart here (although no flipping is required):  My Mother Dear

If the Savior Stood Beside Me

I love the ideas for teaching "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" that were posted on Sugardoodle , so I made my own flipchart with squares I can cut out and put back to back with the question marks for teaching as described, but can also be used just as a flipchart for performing.  I like to include pictures for the little ones who can't read.  You will need to print some of the pages two or three times as needed for the verses.  I found most of the pictures as free downloads from Susan Fitch Designs and modified a couple of them to fit the song.  Thanks to these people sharing, I too wanted to share.

You can find my flipchart here:  If the Savior Stood Beside Me

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

On a Golden Springtime

The last week of this year, sharing time is about Joseph Smith and the first vision.  The song "On a Golden Springtime" is perfect for this lesson, as well as for Easter.

You can find my flipchart here:  On a Golden Springtime

Could I Hold the Baby

A couple of years ago I heard about the sweet Christmas song, "Could I Hold the Baby" by Rachel M Goates and totally fell in love with it!  It is listed as submitted music for children on lds.org.  It was my first Christmas as Primary Chorister and it felt late in the year for me.  I previously had been the Ward Music Director and was used to preparing for Christmas in August!  But here it was almost November, so I was frantically looking for a flipchart and ideas on how to teach this song.  None of the flipcharts I found were quite to my taste, but as I looked for pictures to go with the words, I found exactly what my heart was looking for in the pictures of the Children's Songbook.  I found digital versions of those pictures on lds.org as well and the whole thing just fell into place.

My first version was without words (I prefer to teach without words especially for the little ones who can't read anyway), but I realized that I needed the words on the pictures for those kids who just come to church at Christmas time, visitors, and also for future use as it would be months before we would use it again.

The flipchart can be found here:  Could I Hold the Baby (with words)

Before I Take the Sacrament

A great song to teach children about the sacrament is "Before I Take the Sacrament."  Because this is not for the Primary Program, I have put all the words with the pictures.  This will make it easy to pull out for opening or closing song, to go with a lesson, or occasional use like this week's Sharing Time.

The flipchart can be found here:  Before I Take the Sacrament flipchart with words.

Did Jesus Really Live Again?

For Easter this year, I chose to teach "Did Jesus Really Live Again?"  I hoped to instill in the children an understanding and testimony that YES, Jesus really did and does live again and so shall they. This is one of the most comforting gospel principles - that we will be resurrected after we die.

This chart has almost all the words along with pictures. I decided that we usually only sing Easter songs once a year, so to make singing less frustrating for the kids, I wanted the words to be there. The flipchart can be found here:  Did Jesus Really Live Again? flipchart.

As a Child of God

Here's another flipchart without words to teach "As a Child of God" to the primary children.  Okay, it has a few words, but is mostly pictures.  It has just one page per verse and one for the chorus.

The chart works well for both junior and senior primary.  The children remember the words better than I do!

The file can be found here:  As a Child of God flipchart without words.

I Often Go Walking - flipchart without words

Most of the time, if I use pictures or a flipchart to help in teaching a new song, I try to just use pictures without words.  Especially since most of the junior primary children can't read yet.

For Mother's Day this year I am teaching "I Often Go Walking" with pictures I gleaned from other flipcharts which you can find here - I Often Go Walking flipchart without words.