1 Music IS Literacy
A note to parents, teachers, principals and admin.
Music education is important for all learners, and maybe more so during difficult times.
Keep making music while your children are home!
A note to parents, teachers, principals and admin.
Music education is important for all learners, and maybe more so during difficult times.
Keep making music while your children are home!
Sing Time for Music with the lyrics video.
Count the beats at the end of each verse.
Count the beats out loud.
Think up new ways that you could keep a beat, and sing your new verses.
Numeracy: Counting is numeracy! Cut out 8 hearts and have children tap on the hearts as they count. Take 2 away. Have them count the hearts now - 1-2-3-4-5-6.
• In a study at Northwestern University, researchers have linked the ability to keep a beat to reading and language skills. Read more here: https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2013/09/the-importance-of-keeping-the-beat/
Can you remember the words?
Sing along with Mrs. Gagne and the kids demo.
Don't forget to count the beats out loud at the end of each verse.
Literacy: When the children can remember the words of a song and sing along, they are developing auditory processes. Discriminating between similar auditory elements is essential for effective communication because it will mean that students are able to pick out individual words that sound alike. Parents - read more here: https://www.luther.edu/oneota-reading-journal/archive/2012/learning-literacy-through-music/
Listen to the fingerplay.
Did you hear a place in the poem when it was quiet?
Did you hear a place in the poem when it was higher?
Did you hear a place in the poem when it was
Listen again. How many words can you remember?
Literacy: Fingerplays are important tools to help children develop fluency and rhythm in language. They also learn new vocabulary and comprehension as they show with their hands what the words mean. They also develop fine muscle skills as they manipulate their fingers.
Practice the words and the motions.
When you think you know it, try the fingerplay with kids demo video below.
Watch the kids demo video and say the poem with Mrs. Gagne and the kids.
Which did you like the best - saying the poem in a loud voice or a quiet voice?
Make Loud and Quiet Patterns
If you have a printer, print out 2 sets of the loud/quiet cards.
Make a pattern with them. Then say and clap (or play) your pattern.
For example: LOUD LOUD quiet quiet LOUD quiet LOUD quiet
Try a new pattern. Play the pattern on different instruments or "found sounds" from home - wooden spoons, pots, bowls, shakers
Do you ever get wiggly?
In this song, you will get all your jiggles and wiggles out!
Listen and watch the lyrics video. While the song is playing wiggle or jiggle along.
Literacy: • Children who can keep the beat have improved fluency in language
Read more here: https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2013/09/the-importance-of-keeping-the-beat/
Sing and Move to the song with Mrs. Gagne and the kids.
There are lots of fun songs to sing in Lesson 1.
Repetition is really important in all learning, and each time you repeat a song, you'll improve your performance.
Make a list of your favorite songs.
You can use the search engine on the site to quickly find any song you want to sing again.
Assessment Suggestions - Optional
If your teacher asks you to send assessments, some ideas might include
- a photo of your loud/quiet pattern
- a video of you saying/playing your loud quiet pattern
Music Education is Important
- whether you are learning in a school or learning at home!