Kindergarten Music - Kindy students are learning about music during our "Going to the Farm" unit. Each week we are visiting different animals on the farm, and learning traditional songs and games that correspond with those animals. These songs and games are helping the children become familiar with good singing skills, and learning about classroom percussion instruments. We started with the ducks (rhythm sticks) and are moving on to the hens (tambourines). Maybe your kindergartener will come home doing the 'Chicken Dance' soon!
1st Grade Music - First graders are moving to the beat! Each class has many opportunities to get up and move around and move to the drum beats. Then, we are reviewing the "Sprague School Song," "America," and "You're a Grand Old Flag." Students are learning about the difference between steady beat and rhythm through short rhymes with an apple theme. These rhymes reinforce reading skills, but are wonderful to use as a base to build simple 'pieces' by adding simple movements and instruments. Musical form is also introduced at this time - verse/refrain and ABA.
Second Grade Music - Second graders are reviewing basic rhythms from last year while they listen to a variety of world music selections. I've been playing a lot from "The Rough Guide to Latin Music" and "Putumayo Playground" African music. These really get us moving! Children are learning "Hello" which incorporates different ways to say hello in many languages, as well. Locomotor and non-locomotor movement has been a great way to get the children up and thinking. Different drum sounds tell the children when to move in each way, and they can be very creative in their movements. In addition to reviewing the "School Song," "America" and "You're a Grand Old Flag," students are using simple rhymes to identify high and low sounds, which we will put on a musical staff soon and notate as sol and mi. Furthermore, these rhymes are a basis for our "Orff Orchestra". Students play a variety of barred instruments (xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels and bass bars) to create an orchestra of sorts. They are able to play different notes/rhythms on different instruments creating rich sounds. Pretty cool for second grade!
1st Grade Music - First graders are moving to the beat! Each class has many opportunities to get up and move around and move to the drum beats. Then, we are reviewing the "Sprague School Song," "America," and "You're a Grand Old Flag." Students are learning about the difference between steady beat and rhythm through short rhymes with an apple theme. These rhymes reinforce reading skills, but are wonderful to use as a base to build simple 'pieces' by adding simple movements and instruments. Musical form is also introduced at this time - verse/refrain and ABA.
Second Grade Music - Second graders are reviewing basic rhythms from last year while they listen to a variety of world music selections. I've been playing a lot from "The Rough Guide to Latin Music" and "Putumayo Playground" African music. These really get us moving! Children are learning "Hello" which incorporates different ways to say hello in many languages, as well. Locomotor and non-locomotor movement has been a great way to get the children up and thinking. Different drum sounds tell the children when to move in each way, and they can be very creative in their movements. In addition to reviewing the "School Song," "America" and "You're a Grand Old Flag," students are using simple rhymes to identify high and low sounds, which we will put on a musical staff soon and notate as sol and mi. Furthermore, these rhymes are a basis for our "Orff Orchestra". Students play a variety of barred instruments (xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels and bass bars) to create an orchestra of sorts. They are able to play different notes/rhythms on different instruments creating rich sounds. Pretty cool for second grade!