December 14th: Jingle Bells

Jingle Bells, written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857.

Daily To Do (remember - cuddle up on a blanket, drink hot cocoa, make it snuggly and fun!)

  1. Listen to the carols

  2. Read the story, have a discussion with your child. 

  3. Glue the picture on the advent chart.  If you are looking for ways to tie in this advent calendar to your school work, go through the following questions for these subjects.

 Music – Listen to the different versions of the carol.  Honestly, just enjoying the carols is enough for music appreciation.

  1. What was the same about the versions of the song?  What was different?

  2. Were any unique instruments used?

  3. What was the tempo? Fast or Slow.

  4. Did they hear any dynamic changes? Quiet to Loud (Piano to Forte)

  5. Which version was your favorite? Take a poll in your family.

 

Reading

  1. Toddler/Preschool – ask them to point to different objects in the book. 

  2. Elementary schooler – Ask them for one thing they remember from the story.

  3. Middle & High Schooler – Ask them to narrate (summarize) the story.

Music Selections

My student, Liesey, playing her 2021 Christmas recital piece, Jingle Bells.

 

Book Recommendations

Jingle Bells by Susan Jeffers - sweet little artwork accompanying the lyrics

A Magical Cut-Paper Edition Jingle Bells by Jaes Lord Pierpont, illustrated by Niroot Puttapipat.

This is a beautiful book with cut paper. The last page actually pops up and is stunning. I wouldn’t recommend reading this with babies as the paper can be a tad delicate.

Optional Extra Activities

Beth Smith