Just as the potential for chaos is great on a beach, so is the potential to lose the child’s attention as you transition from one activity to the other.
Even if the activity is opening prayer and a talk, transitioning into Singing Time can be a time when children zone out. Passing in rhythm sticks from a “fun beat versus rhythm” activity can be a place where there is tendency to lose the children’s attention. Moving from doing sign language to a melody map can be a potential hazard for the children’s focus. What can we do?
Here are some rules of a good transition:
Rule #1: Get my attention with a challenge that pertains directly to the activity and the song.
Rule #2: Give me a specific time to adjust from one activity to the next. (I then can learn to adjust my focus and energy better.) Be forgiving and understanding of the short chaos as the children adapt their behavior to the next thing.
Rule #3: Finish and Go.
Rule #4: Don’t fill the time you give me to adjust with talking. My focus will not be on your words during that time.
Children can get “lost” (loss of focus, loss of self-control, loss of interest) if your transition times do not follow these rules!
Rule #1: Get my attention with a challenge that pertains directly to the activity and the song.
Here’s some examples:
a. Here’s the pattern! (Showing a movement pattern or a movement pattern with props like paper plates, shakers, rhythm sticks, pool noodles, etc.)
b. Look! What do you see? What do you notice? (When you show a 3 piece puzzle, a Melody Map, a Squiggle Map, or for the older children a Color Code or Crack the Code)
c. I have a story for you. (Before you tell a Story song or show a Silent Video)
d. Can your hands follow my hands? (As you teach Hand Signs, Action Word Actions, or Waves of the Sea. For younger children before you do Sway and Freeze.)
e. What’s missing? (As you focus older children in on Fill in the Missing Words)
f. I dropped the pictures! Can you help me put them in order? (As you Put the Pictures in Order… or Words in Order for older children.)
g. I’m going to draw something. Tell me what you see. (As you Draw the Song.)
h. Here’s the rules of the game. (for older children before you play Eraser Pass or Envelope Game.)
The point is to say and show something that directs the children to what is coming next. Help them adjust their attention and their focus by giving them a challenge and jumping right into it. (The less talking the better.)
Rule #2: Give me a specific time to adjust from one activity to the next. (I then can learn to adjust my focus and energy better.)
regulate
adapt
modify
reshape
rearrange
alter
Those words are human activities that take time! And as you change activities in the Primary setting, that’s exactly what the children are doing. Give them time to do that, but give them a specific time and goal to do all those things!
Give me time to finish, change my focus, and then start something new.
Here are some examples:
a. Give your shakers (paper plates, ribbon wands, rhythm sticks, etc.) back to your teachers in 10 seconds! (Then you count backwards… 10, 9, 8, ….)
b. Freeze! (and say it two or three times if the collective group needs to hear it!) Help the children stop their current action to hear your instruction to move to the next action- giving a one or two sentence direction from Rule #1. I always compliment them on how fast they freeze, even if it is “Great job! You only took 4 times of me saying freeze!” or “You froze so fast this time!”
c. Sound signal. Clap a sequence that you have decided as a group beforehand. You clap one half of the sequence, and they clap back the second half. You say the first half of a a byline, and they repeat back the second half. After giving the sound signal and receiving their response, give a short direction of what is coming next like in Rule #1.
Rule #3: Finish and Go!
Imagine three (or more) large boxes on the floor. They are spread apart with space in between and you want to conserve as much space as possible. Pack them in tight! Don’t leave much space between the boxes.
The same principle goes for activities. Pack them in tight. Finish up an activity (see Rule #2) and go straight to the next activity (see Rule #1).
a. Know as a teacher what is coming next.
b. Give time a specific time to adjust, and go straight to the next activity (see Rule #1).
Rule #4: Don’t fill the time you give me to adjust with talking. My focus will not be on your words during that time.
Recognize that you are doing the children a favor if you don’t talk during adjustment time. Wait that split second until they can adjust their focus on you to listen. (See Rule #2) When you talk without their focus you teach them:
a. To ignore instructions (because that is what they are “practicing” when you talk without their attention).
b. Not to regulate and adapt to a change.
When you make sure their attention is focused on you, you give their brain a gift. It learns to be able to adjust. It learns how to focus in. It learns how to rearrange and adapt to go from one activity to another.
Holly Taylor
Love this! Thank you.
susan kenney
Sharla, You are so good. Keep it up!!!!!!!
Sharla Dance
Thank you Susan! You are the master teacher.
April Jacobs
This is very helpful! Thank you!
Susan Dees
Sharla, and Susan (Kenney),
I was taught by both of you at a week-long BYU Music Workshop in 1995. I treasure that experience, and all that I learned. Over the years, your influence has blessed me and my family, hundreds of Primary children, and leaders, too.
Thank you, thank you,
Susan Dees