Coming back from Thanksgiving, all 4 grade levels really got going on our various focuses for this block! Read below for more details. Choir letters also went home with all 3/4/5 students. Those are TECHNICALLY due on Friday, January 5th. However, I would LOVE to have the bulk of them before break. So, if you could get them in, that would be swell. I already have quite a pile growing on my desk!
Kindergarteners are using Nursery Rhymes to learn about musical opposites, story sequence, and vocal direction. So far, we have covered Twinkle Twinkle LIttle Star and Jack & Jill. Today, we will being Hickory Dickory Dock. With each of these songs, we've sung them, played with the way our bodies can follow our voices, drawn the path that our voice takes in the song and made a crown to take home with the lyrics of the first verse. If you have a kindergartener, ask you child to show you how their body follows their voice in Jack and Jill.
1st graders got some concrete training in basic rhythm last week. We took a song they already knew from Kindergarten (Bluebird) and broke down the beat and finally the specific rhythms in the song, gave those rhythms a sound and feel, and finally a name. They used popsicle sticks to practice creating their own rhythms and then glued those rhythms onto paper to take home. They were only allowed to take them home after being able to clap their rhythm for me both forward and backward. If you have a first grader, ask them to do the same for you!
4th graders in Mr. Martin and Mrs. Headtke's classes are well on their ways to being instrumentalists! We have learned the first 3 notes on the recorder (B,A,G) and kicked off Recorder Karate last week with over half of each class earning their white belt! Recorder Karate is an entirely optional enrichment for the recorder. Every student will progress at their own pace and some will not participate at all. As long as everyone is making an effort at the in class curriculum, that is fine by me! And I have made sure that the kids know this too. If you do have a student that is bringing home a recorder to practice on the weekend, please help remind them that the recorders are timid and shy creatures that are happiest in the backpacks when not being played! This helps make sure they come back on Mondays. ;-)
The 5th graders and I are having a BLAST studying Form in Music and starting on the songs for the 5th grade Revue that will happen in May. They have latched on to the elements of Form very quickly (as I knew they would), and we are applying that knowledge to everything we hear nowadays. They have also been really enthusiastic about our Revue. It warms my heart for them to get so excited when I pass out the music books! More info about that in the Spring.
Stay warm as the temperature drops, and I hope to see many of you at our play days next week!
Kindergarteners are using Nursery Rhymes to learn about musical opposites, story sequence, and vocal direction. So far, we have covered Twinkle Twinkle LIttle Star and Jack & Jill. Today, we will being Hickory Dickory Dock. With each of these songs, we've sung them, played with the way our bodies can follow our voices, drawn the path that our voice takes in the song and made a crown to take home with the lyrics of the first verse. If you have a kindergartener, ask you child to show you how their body follows their voice in Jack and Jill.
1st graders got some concrete training in basic rhythm last week. We took a song they already knew from Kindergarten (Bluebird) and broke down the beat and finally the specific rhythms in the song, gave those rhythms a sound and feel, and finally a name. They used popsicle sticks to practice creating their own rhythms and then glued those rhythms onto paper to take home. They were only allowed to take them home after being able to clap their rhythm for me both forward and backward. If you have a first grader, ask them to do the same for you!
4th graders in Mr. Martin and Mrs. Headtke's classes are well on their ways to being instrumentalists! We have learned the first 3 notes on the recorder (B,A,G) and kicked off Recorder Karate last week with over half of each class earning their white belt! Recorder Karate is an entirely optional enrichment for the recorder. Every student will progress at their own pace and some will not participate at all. As long as everyone is making an effort at the in class curriculum, that is fine by me! And I have made sure that the kids know this too. If you do have a student that is bringing home a recorder to practice on the weekend, please help remind them that the recorders are timid and shy creatures that are happiest in the backpacks when not being played! This helps make sure they come back on Mondays. ;-)
The 5th graders and I are having a BLAST studying Form in Music and starting on the songs for the 5th grade Revue that will happen in May. They have latched on to the elements of Form very quickly (as I knew they would), and we are applying that knowledge to everything we hear nowadays. They have also been really enthusiastic about our Revue. It warms my heart for them to get so excited when I pass out the music books! More info about that in the Spring.
Stay warm as the temperature drops, and I hope to see many of you at our play days next week!