Love One Another

"Love One Another," p. 136, is the perfect song to teach children about love.  In fact, it is used 4 times in 4 lines.  The phrase "love one another" is sung 3 times.

If this is new to your primary, sing each line and then have the children sing it with you 3 times.  Sing the whole song and ask the children to hold up one finger every time they sing "love."

Once they know the song, try teaching them the sign language on page 137.  This will help seal the words in their minds.

Ask the ward music director to sing this hymns in Sacrament meeting sometime this month.  This is a great way to reinforce learning in primary.

Choose the Right Ideas

"Choose the Right" is the hymn for this month.  I teach the sign language to the hymns each year.  If you are interested, you can follow this link to watch the sign language.  Even if you do just a few signs it will be a help to the children as they learn the hymn.

Another option is to teach the chorus this week. Cut out the following:

•  3 hearts (red or pink) 
• a white heart with an arrow pointing up (you could make the arrow red)
• a yellow circle for the sun (light)
• a circle with a happy face drawn on it 

Write the words to the chorus on the board.  Every time it says "Choose the right" put a heart up instead.  The white heart is in place of the words "mark the way before."  In place of "In the light," place the sun there and the happy face in place of the words, "bless you evermore."  Explain to the children what the symbols stand for then sing the chorus.  Sing it enough times that you can erase the words and just sing it with the symbols.  Make sure you review last month's song, "As a Child of God."

Praise to the Man

This month's theme is "The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored."  I find it interesting that there are no "helps" for teaching the hymn "Praise to the Man."  I have been teaching our primary this hymn in sign language for the past 7 months.  Each year I decide which hymn/song will be the hardest to teach or learn and I then learn and teach the sign language for it.  The Church music web site has all the Hymns and Primary songs recorded in sign language.  The children learn it much faster than I do.  I like the fact that when the words are big and/or difficult, the sign language helps them remember them.  Sign language also keeps the children focused.  Once they know the signing, we often "sing" the hymn in just sign language.  The piano plays and the room is silent as the children focus on the words and signs.  It is quite a reverent experience.