Things that can help:
- Walk around and help students.
- Say words like "Pass," "Pick up" and "Right," even singing those words to the tune.
- Slow down the tempo.
- Only put 1 ball/stone in at the beginning while the rest of the students pretend. Gradually add more balls/stones.
On the songs below, the "X" marks the strong beat, where the students should place the ball/stone on the floor in front of the person to their right. I prefer small stones or bean bags, since they don't roll.
This is a good beginner song. The "T" means every student taps the stone in front of him/herself. The only time the stone is passed to the right is on the "X" on the last word.
Obwasanasah
This one is another good one to start with. It has some of those words in the song, it's short, and everyone can "freeze" at the end. Check and see if everyone is in the same position.
Ball Passing Game
Hosisipi
Stick Passing Game
Al Citron - more advanced
Stone Passing Game - advanced
Option: on the 2/4 measures, students tap stones twice in front of them instead of passing.
Options to make this one easier:
- Simplify the melody by singing the melody for ms. 1 on all 5/8 measures.
- Make this 6/8 by substituting all quarter notes for dotted quarter notes.
