With the holidays fast approaching, perhaps you're looking for gifts for your elementary music student. If so, I have some ideas!
If you have a child in third grade, get a head start on the post-winter-break recorder unit by getting a recorder early! This Amazon wishlist includes Canto soprano recorders, the same kind that you can order through the school after the break. I've also included a few supplemental books. We will NOT be using these books in class, but they could be fun for ambitious students looking to learn some extra songs! For students in fourth and fifth grade, we will be starting to use ukuleles after the break. Students will be sharing instruments from our classroom set in class, but if your child would like to be able to play at home, a ukulele is an inexpensive and easy-on-the-ears instrument. Check out this Amazon wishlist if you're interested in purchasing the type of ukulele we'll be using in school. Ours are Husker green, but you can choose from a wide variety of colors. I've also included some accessories that could be useful, including a tuner, replacement strings, and a method book. We won't be using the method book in class, but students who are playing at home might want some additional music to work on!
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3rd and 4th Graders will be starting their recorder unit next week! Please help students who have their own to bring their recorders to school on Monday. Students will keep their recorders at school during the week and will have the option of taking them home on the weekends.
The 3rd and 4th graders will be starting their recorder units soon! Please return recorder forms to me by this Wednesday, February 6th. Even if you will not be ordering a recorder, I appreciate getting the forms back so I can know what your plan is and ensure that I have enough school recorders for those who will be borrowing a recorder. If you need another copy of the form, you can print it from the link below. If you would like to learn more about the Canto recorders that I will be ordering for students, check out this link. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Many students have been enjoying performing for their classes this year. Whether they sing an original song that they wrote, improvise on a drum, or sing a song that they learned from the radio, all performances are welcome! After each performance, we have a conversation about it. Students can share "stars" (compliments) or "wishes" (a suggestion to change the song or the performance). Sometimes students in the audience will share what the performance made them think of or imagine. It's really fun to hear how the kids are thinking more and more deeply about the music they hear!
Now that so many students are asking to do performances, I want to make sure that everyone who wants to gets a turn. To do so, I've started keeping track of who performs using Class Dojo. Being marked for doing a performance in class isn't worth points, but if you have created a parent account, you'll be able to see when your child performs! If you're not signed up for Class Dojo, simply fill out this form, and I'll send you information so you can log in.
Image from https://blog.classdojo.com/music-in-the-classroom-yes-when-now-this-post/
Check out this new addition to the music room! Last year, many students became very interested in writing their own songs and performing them in class. I've been very impressed by the work they've put into writing music outside of class, their ability to talk about their musical inspirations, their confidence in performing in front of their peers, and the support that they've shown each other. To encourage and reward these songwriters, we now have a Songwriters' Chair in our classroom. Students who write and practice their own original music outside of music class may sit in this special chair to perform their song for their class. Once they have performed, they get to autograph the chair and their name goes into a drawing. At the spring concert, we will do the drawing and the winner will get to take this autographed chair home! My only concern is that we'll run out of room on the chair for all the autographs, but that's a pretty wonderful problem to have.
Of course, performing one's own songs is not the only way to perform music! We will have a separate drawing for students who choose to perform a song that they've learned (e.g. in music lessons, from the radio, from a family member, etc.) or music that they improvise (make up on the spot). The prize for that drawing will be a surprise! |
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