I teach this in Preschool, Kindergarten and 1st grade.
It’s important for them to feel, hear, and see visual representations of long and short. So, I over-exaggerate examples on the keyboard when I play one or the other. When students listen, they either make a long movement (usually with their hands starting at their bodies and moving toward the center of the circle) or a short movement (which could be a clap or a patsch)
Activities
- Make long and short sounds with your body
- long = say “ooooooooo,” “shhhhhhhh,” etc.
- short = pat, clap, say “t,” “k,” etc.
- Make long and short sounds with instruments
- long = triangle, finger cymbals, glockenspiel, etc.
- short = wood block, claves, etc.
- long or short = guiro, ratchet, etc.
- Make long and short locomotor movements with your body
- long = sway, move arms slowly in big arcs around your body, etc.
- short = march, skip, etc.
Songs
- Across the Rocky Mountain
- All Through the Night (long)
- Captain Go Sidetrack Your Train
- Doggie, Doggie
- Every Night When the Sun Goes In
- Ezekiel Saw the Wheel
- Freight Train Blues
- Good News
- Goodbye Julie
- Leavin’ Old Texas
- Little Bunny Foo Foo
- My Father’s House
- Oh Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
- Oh Freedom
- Old Blue
- Shenandoah
- Water is Wide
- Wheels on the Bus (long)
- When the Saints Go Marching In
Long & Short Visuals
- Available on this page: Doggie, Doggie
- Available on this page: Old Blue
See also
- songs with half notes
- songs with dotted half notes
- songs with whole notes
- songs with fermatas
- rhythm resources
Extras for Plus Members
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Long & Short Printable Visuals
