Way up High in the Apple Tree

October 21st, 2011 Posted in What Are We Learning?
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The Highs and Lows of Apple Picking

This time of year we do a lot of apple picking in music class.   It is a wonderful way to learn about musical opposites High & Low and Up & Down.  We sing Lynn Kleiner’s setting of the popular preschool rhyme Way Up High in the Apple Tree to show how apple trees grow strong and tall and how the apples fall down off the trees.   A jaunty musical trip through our imaginary orchard helps us associate high musical pitches with the physical sensation of stretching up to pick an apple. Likewise, picking up apples that have fallen to the ground helps us associate low musical pitches with the physical sensation of stooping down to pick up an apple. With my preschool students we use a glockenspiel as an apple picking ladder to hear the ascending and descending pitches as we climb to pick our apples.

We also learn about other things during our apple picking journey.  In Shake the Apple Tree we learn about sharing apples with others.   In Farmer Brown had 5 Green Apples we learn about counting, subtraction and taking turns.

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The Nursery Rhyme Workout

May 6th, 2011 Posted in What Are We Learning?
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Nursery Rhyme Workouts

Nursery Rhymes are an important tool in children’s language development.   In our baby and toddler music classes nursery rhymes are frequently presented as lap bounces.  Although lap bounces are are often dreaded by adults because they can be pretty strenuous, children adore them.

Nursery Rhymes help children learn about the rhythm of our language.  They build vocabulary and memory.   Familiarity with rhyming helps children decode written language.  Children who haven’t been exposed to rhyming before kindergarten/first grade often do not have the  phonological awareness they need to become successful readers.

Nursery Rhyme lap bounces usually come early in my classes – often right after hello.  They are a wonderful non-threatening way for children to transition into class.  From the safety of a trusted lap they have the opportunity to size me up and decide if music class is an OK thing to do.  When they are comfortable and having fun it is easier for them to participate in the rest of the class activities.

To learn more about the  benefits of sharing nursery rhyme games with your child check out my link to the article Learning Through Play.

 

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Boom, Boom, Boom on the Big Bass Drum

April 2nd, 2011 Posted in What Are We Learning?
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Drum, Baby Drum!

The big bass drum is probably the most requested instrument in music class. Besides being a great way to get out aggressions :)  we learn a lot when we drum in music class.

The very first thing we learn is how to share space around the drum.  That is often easier said than done.  Our big bass drums fit from 6-8 children around them, depending on the age of the children and there is always someone who doesn’t want to share or who decides that laying on the drum is a good idea.

The next thing is exposure to steady beat.  All children have an internal steady beat – they need it to crawl and walk.  Following an external beat needs to be learned. The easiest way to encourage them is to have the music follow them.  You might occasionally notice in class that I am trying match a child’s drumming.  This is to give them the experience of being with the music.  Eventually they will be able to be with the music themselves rather than the music being with them.

We also learn about soft and loud and the physical force and control they require. Giving each child a chance to choose whether to play loud or soft gives them an opportunity to express themselves.  A high-energy child will generally choose to play loud and a laid-back or cautious child will generally choose to play soft.  I am always delighted when a child chooses the option that seems to be contrary to the mood or personality they are projecting.  It reminds me that no child is one-dimensional.

These are just a few of the wonderful things we learn from the big bass drums.

 

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Now Get Ready to Stop!

April 1st, 2011 Posted in What Are We Learning?
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Stop and Go Music Games

Some of my favorite music games are stop and go games.  They are wildly popular with the toddler set.    I always begin with ” clap, clap, clap your hands…and STOP!”  When I first introduce this to my young walkers (about 15 months give or take) they look at me like I’m crazy.  After about the third or fourth repetition they have all caught on to the game and are laughing hysterically with every stop.

This music game is the jumping off point for many of the skills we work on in music class. The most important of these is learning to actively listen.    In order to stop on time they need to be paying attention to the music.   From there they begin to anticipate when the music will stop and you can see that they have developed an intuitive understanding of phrase.

Another very important skill  inherent in this game is inhibitory control. Marching and jogging with the music is fun and it takes  self-discipline to stop when the music say to.

From there anything is possible.

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