This week each and every grade at both campuses were tickled when they crossed the threshold of the music room to see a plethora of instruments our and about. We played shakers, jingle bells, drums and sandpaper blocks, all while singing and learning our songs for the December Grandparents Day Program.
Remember those clapping games that we used to play when we were bored? Second through fifth grade learned "Cross down when Billy was one", through which they learned about keeping a steady beat, subdividing the beat, crossing the midline of the body, mirroring, transferring, and more big education and music words! And they learned all that without even knowing it. I love it!!
In almost every class this week, we talked about drums. We talked about what materials are used to make them, and most importantly we talked about the messages that people would send by their drumming rhythms. The three that we learned and perfected were: "We need help." and "Dinner time, come and get it!" and the third was "Party time". The party time message was something that they got to compose on their own and if we had time, they performed them for the class.
Drums definitely had the kids smiling and were a great tool in reinforcing the list of Instrument To-Dos. All PreK through 4th grade classes played with rhythm sticks this week. We learned how to rest, tap, scrape, hammer, and pound. We sang silly songs like, If You're Happy And You Know It, and The Sticks On The Bus. PreK, Kinder, and First Grades sang songs targeting finger independence and strength like Where Is Thumbkin? and This Is How I Wiggle. Second through Fifth grades began learning a poem called Loose Tooth, with which we will begin adding more parts and instruments. All grades enjoyed getting up and dancing!
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AuthorMrs. Ayers loves to teach cool things about music to kids! Archives
April 2015
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