One way we have a ball during back-to-school time is to use tennis balls for a fun passing song. Every year, I do a theme for the year, so I start with an introduction to the theme. I have done tons of various themes and have used a variety of ideas to introduce them. I …
Musical Analysis Listening Lesson: A Tale of Two Blackbirds
I was recently struck by some music I heard and feel it would make a great musical analysis listening lesson for your upper elementary up through college-level students . My husband and I were catching up on previously taped “America’s Got Talent,” and we were struck by a particular performance. When I first saw Archie …
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The Doorbell Rang for Working on Literacy, Singing In Tune, and Math
I love to use the book, “The Doorbell Rang” with my Kindergarteners to work on singing in tune. It is magical as we sing the doorbell sound, discuss sharing the cookies, and sort the cookies. Steps We Use in Class to help our in-tune singing I read the book to the students and talk …
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Vocal Play: A Critical Key to Singing In Tune
Singing in tune is a vital part of Kodály music and a goal for most music teachers for their students. Although it is a goal, it is not always easy to achieve. You have to work at it, even to help students to feel comfortable singing in front of others and exposing their voice, which …
Easter Egg Rhythm Hunt
In an effort to do something fun before Spring break, but also to review at the same time, I did an Easter Egg rhythm hunt. Get Some Plastic Eggs I went to Walmart and bought a box of 250 eggs for 9.98, although you can buy just a few dozen if you want to. I …
Connecting with Second Language Learners in the Music Classroom Part 1
I have always loved teaching songs from around the world, abundant in the Kodály repertoire. In the past 10 years, our district has changed to include an increasing number of second language learners. I have enjoyed working to connect with these students in the music classroom, more challenging because of the limited time we have each …
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An Easy and Inexpensive Christmas Gift for Coworkers, Neighbors, or Friends
Every year, I try to find something for my close coworkers and a few neighbors that is nice but won’t break the bank. I saw this idea at a boutique but it was Thanksgiving/autumn mitts, so I thought I’d look around to find some that are nice for all year. I also used music ribbon …
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The Silent Scream: Playing Fun Games while Keeping Your Sanity
Kids love playing fun games and they can learn so much from them. They learn social skills and how to follow directions, but the screaming indoors can drive you insane and ruin your hearing. I love using this behavior management technique while playing fun games. A Fun Game for Using the Silent Scream In Kodály teaching, …
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Finding the Strong Beat
In Kindergarten, 1st,, and 2nd grade, I work on helping students feel the steady beat and the strong beat. We do the beat on our laps, saying beat is steady to various songs. A favorite song for learning the strong beat is called “Frog in the Middle”. We pat our laps on the strong beat. …
Drumming Up Fitness Made Easy
I see different kinds of fitness drumming all over youtube. I wanted to do a fitness class using more traditional music, rather than all of the pop music. If you look at some of the published programs out there, they are very expensive and there is no traditional music used. I have done a lot …
