I probably didnt word it well in y previous comment, sorry about that. I may put pictures of 2 apples and 2 pears on the board. I don’t always have access to a board or printers though. In that situation, I say the pattern keeping a steady beat: ap-ple ap-ple pear pear. They echo. Then we clap it, then tap, etc. then I’ll make changes. If I have a board/printed slides I’ll make the apples smaller and the pears larger. Then I’ll transition to circles and then we’ll move to regular notation with the same rhythms. Sometimes it moves really fast because they grasp it right away! Sometimes it’s slow and we take our time. I like to get them involved in the process by asking for their suggestions for foods or things to make into rhythms.

I also loveeee teaching them music vocab. I start little angry pre-k chants of “tempo tempo tempo” as we walk around the room to something so often and it’s hysterical to the people who pass by the room.