What is my child learning in music class?In early elementary school music, I teach my classes using the John M. Feierabend curriculum. This curriculum is based on early childhood research related to the development of: 1. Music Intelligence 2. Singing Skills 3. Sensitivity to the Beat and Beat Groups 4. Expressive Movement 5. Musical Memory 6. Preferences 7. Neurological Connections Our three goals in music are: 1. Accurate Singing Skills (Tuneful) 2. Accurate Rhythmic Skills (Beat-ful) 3. Sensitivity to the Expressive Qualities in Music (Artful) These skills prepare students to become adults who are better able to participate in a community and are able to enjoy opportunities to sing together with others, dance together with others, and share listening to beautiful music together with others. For examples, adults who are tuneful can sing lullabies to their babies, adults who are beat-ful can dance at their friends' weddings, and adults who are artful seek out venues to share experiences listening to music with others. In addition to our music goals, I work to reinforce the content that students are learning in other classes. Some of examples of content that I have incorporated in the past include, Phonological Learning, Letter Identification, Syllables, Soundwaves, Fine and Gross Motor Skills, Addition and Subtraction, Social-Emotional Learning, Growth Mindset, and more. |
What does the typical music class look like?As students arrive, they are greeted as they find their seats. We sing our welcome song then get "ready to learn"! It's time to have so much fun singing, dancing, playing instruments, and making music!
The typical class takes students through a full musical workout which includes these eight activities: 1. Pitch Exploration (Vocal Warm-Ups) 2. Song Fragments (Call and Response and Echo Songs) 3. Simple Songs 4. Arioso (Child-Created Improvised Tunes) 5. Movement Exploration (Movement Warm-Ups) 6. Movement for Form and Expression 7. Movement with the Beat 8. SongTales (Musical Stories) These eight activities help students grow to be tuneful, beat-ful, and artful, while meeting our 4 core music standards: Perform, Create, Respond, and Connect. To learn more about my qualifications, please visit my professional online portfolio here: https://erikanicholehartman.wordpress.com/ |