4th Grade

Rounds: Continued from second and third grade, rounds are a great introduction to part singing.

Music Literacy: Continued from second and third grade, we learn to read standard music notation through the Conversational Solfège method developed by Dr. John Feierabend (formerly of the Hartt School of Music/University of Hartford). This method is a variation of the Kodály method (named after pedagogue Zoltán Kodály) wherein children are taught to recognize common musical rhythmic or melodic patterns through songs and movement activities before learning to visually recognize or notate those same patterns.

Recorders: Students continue their recorder lessons from third grade. This adds a level of involvement to the music literacy part of class as well as beginning the groundwork for the possible participation in instrumental music in fifth grade. Each student will receive a recorder paid for by the music department. Students are asked to keep their recorders from last year. Students new to the Douglas School will be issued a new recorder.