If I Listen with my Heart Word Puzzle- Older Children

There are words taped up all around the room, and in the front of the room are two posters.

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Here are the words.  (Click on the last sentence)

I tell the children that the words around the room are all mixed up.  I will tap someone on the shoulder and ask them to choose a word while I sing and put it up on this poster in the right place.  I start singing and tapping children on the shoulder to go choose a word.  (If they need help to know where their word goes, I emphasize that word as I sing.)  It usually takes about 3 times through the song before the children get all the words onto the poster in the right place.

 

I ask the children:  Can you sing only the words from the poster that are on the colored paper?  I’ll sing all the rest.

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Now switch!  I’ll sing the words on the colored paper and you sing all the rest!

Extender activity:  Can you figure out why some of the words are on blue and some of them are on yellow? Let me sing the song and you raise your hand when you think you know!

(blue for us, yellow for Jesus Christ)

 

30 Responses

  1. Michelle

    I love this! I’ll definitely be using this one. I really like how you tie different colors to different themes. I have a few children who are hyper aware of colors in cases like this.

  2. Holly

    Sharla – thank you for another amazing idea. Question – would you use this activity as a first introduction to the song or on a second or third week? Thanks!

  3. Sharla Dance

    I’m using it with our Older Primary tomorrow as an intro. I want them to hear it again and again as they concentrate on something else, which will let the melody and rhythm into the back door of their brains while they concentrate on the order of the words. Thanks for asking!

    • Pamela

      This was fantastic with my senior primary, and I adapted it and used pictures for junior primary. Thank you so much for your ideas!

  4. Katie

    Thank you for sharing your ideas! I can’t wait to use this in my primary!!

  5. Shanda Evans

    This was a huge hit in Primary! They loved concentrating on the words when we took turns singing. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! P.S. Your book was my Christmas book and I feel like a whole new world is opening up with singing time. I’m loving it!

  6. Laura Bickmore

    Hey Sharla! I have your book – so as I understand it you would do this song in many different ways for two months. When would you start teaching the second and third verses?

    • Sharla Dance

      I am actually teaching the first verse all of January with 4 different activities. February we are using the first verse as the Opening Song. March (with the theme that deals with following the prophet) I will teach the 2nd verse with 3 different activities just for that verse. April I will teach the 3rd verse (again with 3 activities of its own), and May we will use the 2nd and 3rd verses alternately as the Opening Song. Great question!!! Thanks for asking.

      • Sharla Dance

        Note:
        I do at least two different songs every Sunday each with a different activity, so this song is not the only song I am teaching.

      • Laura Bickmore

        Thank you for the clarification – I really appreciate it! I hadn’t thought of saving the prophet verse for that March theme. Guess I need to read over the manual some more. 😉

  7. Laura Bickmore

    Earth is green. 🙂 Why is “walk with Him” blue and yellow?
    Because blue for us walking with Jesus (yellow) – so both colors?

    • Sharla Dance

      Dear Laura, blue and yellow because it involves both Christ and me. You got it!

  8. Brandie Lyon

    Thank you so much for all of your fabulous ideas. I’m doing this activity on Sunday. Did you laminate the colored blocks and words? They look shiny in the picture.

    • Sharla Dance

      I laminated them (clear packing tape works just as well) so that the tape would not pull off some of the paper if placed in the wrong box. Take care, Sharla

  9. Pamela Friske

    Thank you Sharla. I love your ideas! Using this tomorrow to introduce to seniors

  10. Debie Millerb

    Sharla,
    I love what you teach us. I taught third grade for many years and used the multiple intelligences in my teaching. I know how powerful they are. The way you incorporate the intelligence of music with the other intelligences is genius! Such inspiration you have!

    Debbie Miller

  11. Carol

    Thank you for sharing this. I used it with my senior primary and it was very effective.

  12. Rachelle

    Hey Im just wondering how long it takes to do this activity? I am new to Primary Chorister this will be my first week, do you have any tips for beginners? Thanks your stuff looks so awesome!

    • Sharla Dance

      Dear Rachelle, This takes about 8 to 10 minutes. You should have another activity lined up to go with it that uses a contrast, like movement. I’m wishing good things for you this Sunday!

      Take care, Sharla

  13. Renee

    I did this activity last week. What do you do when a child is tapped and then goes to the board and just stands there for a very long time staring at it. I found that this happened a lot! It seemed like quite a challenging exercise for them. As we started getting some of the words up, it became a bit easier. I think I sang the song about 8 times before they had all the words up.

    • Sharla Dance

      Dear Renee, I often will tap two children at the same time, so that two different children are working with the words. I’ve even done three to four children at a time and it keeps it moving while one of the children is thinking.

      But fantastic that you sang the song 8 times… Research shows that children need to hear a song about 15 to 20 times at this age to really take it down into their memory and soul. We so often just don’t give them enough time hearing the song AND being engaged in figuring out something about the song. Good for you!

  14. Rachelle

    I did this word puzzle but for the 3rd verse and it turned out amazing!! The kids loved it especially when I sang parts and they sang the coloured parts and switched! Thankyou so much!!!!!

  15. Mary Ann

    I did this today with my senior primary and it was far and away the BEST lesson we’ve ever had. They mastered the first verse in 20 minutes. THANK YOU!

    • Sharla Dance

      Mary Ann,
      I’m smiling! I’m so happy for them, and for you. Take care, Sharla

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