The Music Classroom

Preschool 

Mulready Students in PK engage in tons of movement, dancing, instrument playing, and singing.  In PK a lot of time is spent allowing the children to explore- both through movement and with sound making.  Students get many opportunities to play singing games and movement games.  They spend much of class moving in different, but musical, ways! 

Kindergarten and First Graders

K students have been learning how to move their bodies fast and slow and have begun to learn our first music words. We met some cartoon friends (Luigi and Mic) who help us learn new music words. These words help us describe the music we hear and play.  (Presto, Largo, rest, beat) 

In Kindergarten we are continuing to practice keeping a steady beat when we sing our songs. As a class we also have been exploring how we can move our bodies in musical but safe ways.  We have used bean bags, rhythm sticks, and even scarfs to explore different ways to move our bodies musically. 

Grade 1 students have been exploring how we can move our bodies in musical but safe ways.  We have used bean bags, rhythm sticks, and even scarfs to explore different ways to move our bodies musically. We are working on using instruments and materials to help show the different types of music we hear. (fast, slow, gentle)

They have explored different ways to use rhythm sticks (shake, rub, tap, hammer) to create different sounds. 

Students have begun to explore new musical Italian words for fast and slow (Presto and Largo). These new words help use describe the music we hear, play and sing. 

Ask your K & 1 students about: 

To show you how to clap a one sound and two sound word; to show you how to draw a rest; to show you how to rest their instrument 

Second Graders

Grade 2 students have been exploring more music rhythms. Students have clapped, played, and written rhythms using eighth notes, quarter note, half note, half rest, whole note, whole rest. Students used "beat blocks" to help them discover the number of beats for each rhythm value. 

Students will have hands on experiences as well as opportunities to listen, write and explore the instruments as we continue to learn about the safe ways to use our instruments in the music room. 

Ask your Second Grader about: 

To show you a half note and whole note; how many beats does a half note get?; how do you create a sound using a boomwhacker?;  To show how to show rest position when using an instrument

Third Graders 

Grade three students have been working hard to learn the notes of the music staff and strengthening their counting skills in preparation for reading notes on a musical staff. They have experienced how to use a "resource" to find a note on the music staff and how to identify if a note is on a line or space. 

Students are making connections and learning how music is written down.  Students are identifying notes of the music staff while playing a familiar song on a classroom instrument. 

Ask your students about: 

What are the notes of the musical alphabet?;  What note always come after "G"?; Why are there two "C's" on the music staff?;  to show you how to tell if a note is a line or space note

Fourth Graders

Students in Fourth Grade have been working hard to continue to learn the notes of the music staff and strengthening their counting skills in preparation. Students have been applying their knowledge while reading and playing more challenging songs. 

Ask your students about: 

What are the notes of the musical alphabet?;  Why are there two "Cs" on the music staff?;  What note always comes after "G" in music?

                 If you have any questions feel free to contact me at:  aisteinhaus@hudson.k12.ma.us