Westbrook Old Hall Primary Circle Time Music John Oates AST Primary Music Westbrook Old Hall Primary johnoates66@yahoo.co.uk

Resources Quality Circle Time – Jenny Mosley Music & Circle Time – Margaret Collins & Claire Wilkinson Tam Tam Tambalay – Helen MacGregor The Little Book of Music for the Classroom – Nina Jackson Sing Up – www.singup.org Westbrook Old Hall Primary VLE

Benefits of Circle Time Develops the notion of equal responsibility. Sense of belonging to a group they can trust. Develops a willingness to share thoughts and feelings. Promotes self-esteem and positive behaviour. Enables children to help each other. Encourages self-discipline through identification of behaviour or work problems.

Circle Time Structure Introductory phase – a fun warm up to help the children relax, release tension and feel the joy of being together. Vital for creating the right supportive climate. Middle phase – an open forum related to the needs of the class. Closing phase – winding down, activities to lighten the mood and return to warm positive experiences.

Key Stage 1 Music Teachers should involve children in: Listening to music and sound Responding to a range of musical and non musical starting points Performing Composing Appraising Developing skills and understanding through a range of musical activities Working on their own, in groups of different sizes and as a class

Music for the Mind Listening to music: Helps the learners get into the right mental state for learning. Helps the teacher get into the right mental state for teaching. Acts as an anchor – it is a direct link to feelings and emotions. Baroque music has been shown to be effective in accelerated learning. It can bring a group of learners back down if they have come into the lesson over excited. It can lift a group of learners. It helps with motivation, as a way of celebrating good work or behaviour. It expands horizons – diversity of recorded sound. It can tap into the likes and values of the learners. It improves memory. Music we like causes us to release dopamine – the ultimate feel-good learning neurochemical.

How might this music help our mood or activity? Wake me up before you go go Schindler’s List Moon River Proud Beethoven, Egmont Overture Gladiator, Now we are free

Sound and Percussion Activities Concentration, Listening, Fun Clapping around the circle – each child makes a clap in turn. (Any child may make two quick claps to change the direction of the clapping.) One clap means sit, two claps means walk on the spot, three claps means walk in one direction around the inside of the circle. Use different notes on a xylophone to control the actions. Teacher sets pulse with clap and then adds a simple chanted phrase (‘I like orange and tea!) – the children must copy. Guess the sound – the children close their eyes whilst the teacher uses an object to make a sound (keys, coins) Pass the keys – a child stands with eyes closed in the centre, keys are passed around the circle quietly – the child in the middle must identify where the keys are. Musical daydream – the children close their eyes and listen to a piece of music – the children must imagine a scene that changes as suggested by the music. Musical feelings – The children listen to different pieces of music with their eyes closed and are asked to imagine what feeling the music suggests. Noises – teacher has noises hidden in a box, each noise is a different instruction – rattle: stand on head, Scrunchy paper: kneel on all fours, Hooter: sit, fold arms Music and movement – children stand in circle, fun music played, one child performs simple movement in the centre keeping to the beat of the music. All copy before new child goes to centre. 1 2 3 – 1 = clap, 2 = click, 3 = stamp Metre – with partner – hands touch on beat 1, clap on other beats. (Metre of 3 = hands, clap, clap)