What does a Kindergarten music class look like?
Hello Song
It's music time! Our "Hello Song" (which may change throughout the year) is not only meant to signal that it's time for class, but is also used as a tool to introduce new musical concepts without expressly "teaching" them. We love when kids are having fun and don't even know they're learning!
Vocal Exploration
"How is our singing voice different than our speaking voice?" "What does it sound like when my voice goes up vs. down?" These are important prerequisites to singing and making music and, although they seem easy to us, these lessons help to develop better confidence and understanding in music and singing.
Movement
How boring would it be for young children if we only learned music by sitting!? In this portion of class, we combine music and movement to encourage creative expression, enhance motor skills, and promote self-awareness when moving through a classroom (if you can believe it, children at this age don't always know when to stop themselves before running into things!).
Singing
Singing, singing, and more singing! We continue to explore our voices through new songs and singing games. Building confidence in our voices is one of the most important lessons in music class at this age.
Instruments
During this time, students will use rhythm/percussion instruments to reinforce musical concepts, such as steady beat and basic rhythms.Â
Goodbye Song
Picture this: your child has just spent 45 minutes having THE best time in music class, and all of a sudden, they have to switch gears instantly and return to their regular classroom. Understandably, these transitions don't always happen seamlessly! Our 'Goodbye Song' is not only a signal that class is over, but is meant to calm us down and provide a smooth transition out of the music classroom and on to the next part of their day at school.
CONNECT
CN - Explore and relate artistic ideas and works to past, present, and future societies and cultures.
K.CN.1 Relate musical ideas and works with personal, societal, cultural, historical, and daily life contexts, including diverse and marginalized groups.
K.CN.1.1 Identify the similarities and differences of music representing diverse global communities.
K.CN.1.2 Identify how music is used in school and in daily life.
K.CN.1.3 Describe how music is used in personal experiences.
K.CN.2 Explore advancements in the field of music.
K.CN.2.1 Identify the various roles of individuals that contribute to the creation and production of music, such as singers, instrumentalists, composers, conductors, etc.
K.CN.2.2 Identify music that is created with technology tools.
CREATE
CR - Create and adapt new artistic ideas and work individually or collaboratively.
K.CR.1 Create original musical ideas and works, independently and collaboratively.
K.CR.1.1 Improvise rhythmic patterns and 2-pitch melodic patterns.
K.CR.1.2 Notate 4-8 beats of original rhythmic ideas using iconic notation that incorporate grade-level appropriate rhythms.
K.CR.2 Adapt original musical ideas and works, and those of peers and other artists, independently and collaboratively.
K.CR.2.1 Create soundscapes using a variety of traditional and non-traditional sound sources.
K.CR.2.2 Explain the difference between original and copied musical ideas or works.
PRESENT
PR - Present, perform, produce, and develop artistic ideas and works.
K.PR.1 Perform music from a variety of styles, cultures, and genres.
K.PR.1.1 Improve musical skills by incorporating feedback from instructors.
K.PR.1.2 Read iconic notation to sing or play melodic patterns with at least two pitches and rhythmic patterns with quarter note and beamed eighth pairs in a variety of meters.
K.PR.1.3 Perform a steady beat in isolation and when singing or playing in unison.
K.PR.1.4 Demonstrate opposites in tempos, form, texture, and dynamics.
K.PR.2 Develop musical presentations.
K.PR.2.1 Name the production elements needed to develop formal and informal performances.
K.PR.2.2 Identify appropriate audience and performer etiquette.
RESPOND
RE - Analyze and evaluate how the arts communicate.
K.RE.1 Analyze musical works from a variety of styles, cultures, and genres including response through moving, singing, playing instruments, or content-specific vocabulary.
K.RE.1.1 Identify opposites in tempos, form, texture, and dynamics in aural or written musical works.
K.RE.1.2 Describe emotions evoked by a given musical work.
K.RE.1.3 Identify a variety of instruments and vocal timbre types by sound, including sing, speak, whisper, and shout.
K.RE.2 Evaluate musical works using content-specific vocabulary.
K.RE.2.1 Describe personal preferences for musical works.
K.RE.2.2 Provide positive feedback for others.