Your Primary kiddos are going to be so excited to learn this LDS Mother’s Day song with this fun and engaging The Dearest Names Melody Map activity! It shows each of the notes in a visual way and with a code to crack for what the colors/shapes represent.
For another fun and unique way to use your melody map, you can even try this scrambled up melody map alternative!
The Dearest Names Melody Map
How to Play:
Sing The Dearest Names (flip chart here) once before introducing this activity.
Put the melody map up on the board and ask the children what do you notice? Take a few answers. They might say things like the line goes up and down, I see a smiley face, or there’s smile-heart-dot repeats! Praise how smart they are and all their great ideas! Let’s test one of them out.
Pick one of the things they noticed and tell them to listen and while you sing through the song and see if they notice any patterns.
Afterwards, take a few more comments on what they noticed. Here are some starters:
- Did the hearts line up with a special word? What did you hear?
- What do you think the smiley face might represent? Look, there’s one here at the very beginning. Let’s sing that first line… “I know a name…” Hm, what do you think? Oh! Could it be in every spot we sing about ourselves? Let’s test it out!
- What about those 2 purple triangles. Do they represent anything special? Who is this song about? (They can represent either mother or father, depending on the verse you are teaching).
Continue picking one special part of the melody map to talk about and decode between each time singing through the song. You’ll get in TONS of repetition and their minds will be working hard to find connections.
Extension Activities:
- Print out the small 1-page melody map. Cut it into puzzle pieces breaking the melody lines into several pieces each. Then, put it in the envelope and let the kids unscramble and put the melody map in order as a group!
- Demonstrate the melody by pointing along as the notes rise and fall with each note you sing. Then, ask a helper to come up and point along with the melody map as you sing through the song and see if they can keep up with the melody.
- Label the 3 orange words (4 dots) on the map. What words did you hear to describe mom (or dad) in this song? Let’s write them right above their spot in the map. Ask the volunteer to get ready to write while everyone else sings to help them find the right word and spot in the Melody map.
- Use the black and white printable melody map and challenge the kids to color in the map with their choice of color to represent different keywords! You can even pick out some other keywords from the lyrics to color with a unique color.
- Fill in the first letter of each word in the black and white melody chart. This will be a really fun thinking challenge for Senior Primary they’ll love!
For another fun melody chart, head over to see this Did You Think to Pray Melody Chart and lesson plan here!
The Dearest Names Melody Map Printable Chart
This free printable includes a full flip chart across 8 pages! You’ll just line up 4 pages then break to a new row and add the additional 4 pages and you’ll have the melody all in line!
You’ll find a printable lesson plan, condensed 2-page melody map, and a black and white melody map included in the INSTANT Primary Singing membership in the April Old Testament teaching packet.
Get more out of singing time with the INSTANT Primary Singing membership that includes printable lesson plans, tons of extended printables and an ad-free experience for each featured song of the month, or get immediate access to the entire song list for the year!
Learn more about INSTANT Primary Singing membership options here!
Have questions or need more help, see this FAQ page here.
For another great way to teach this song, head over to see this The Dearest Names Movement Actions activity!
What other fun ways could you use this melody map in your singing time?
