1. Guiding Music Experiences

2. Benefits of Music Builds a sense of community
Provides an opportunity to learn and use language concepts and vocabulary
Provides a pleasant background for playing, eating, and sleeping

3. Benefits of Music, cont’d
Calms angry feelings and releases energy and tension
Helps build an understanding of musical concepts, including loud/soft, high/low, fast/ slow, up/down
Helps build an appreciation of different cultural backgrounds

4. Music Center
Should be in an open section of the classroom to allow freedom of movement
Provide bean bag chairs and pillows so kids can sit and listen to music
Display instruments on table or shelf – drums, kazoos, melody bells, maracas, rhythm sticks, guitars, tambourines, cymbals, and recorders

5. Music Center, cont’d
Parents are a good source for instruments; can bring in multicultural ones
Should contain pictures of singers, dancers, instruments
Do you remember playing with musical instruments when you were in school? If so, what were your favorite instruments/ memories?

6. Teacher’s Role Need to encourage musical expression
Enthusiasm is key; remember to smile and enjoy yourself and the kids will too
When singing with or to kids, use a light, pleasant singing voice
Avoid forcing children to participate
Natural creativity will blossom
Consider using it to make announcements, provide transitions, direct clean-up activities

7. Encouraging Discovery
Teacher’s need to promote interest in instruments and their sounds
Ask questions: How can you make a sound? Can you make a faster/slower/louder/softer sound?
Have kids listen to each other play?
Comment on their efforts – Ex. You are making some interesting sounds
Helps build positive self-concept

8. Encouraging Non-participants
Non-participating children generally need more time to take part in music activities
Should be handled with patience
Try standing next to them during movement activities
With smile on your face, slowly take their hand and swing to rhythm

9. Selecting Songs Simplicity is key Best songs
Tell a story
Have repetitive, easy-to-learn phrases
Have developmentally appropriate vocabulary
Have a strongly defined and attractive mood or rhythm
Have a range of no more than one octave
Children won’t tire of a well-loved song

10. Creating Songs
Best way to create a song is to use a known melody with new words
Ex. Baa Baa Black Sheep, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, The Alphabet Song

11. Methods for Teaching Songs
Phrase Method
Whole Song Method
Phrase/ Whole Combination Method
**Using the chart below, read the section entitled Teaching Songs on pages in Working With Young Children and write the main characteristics of each type of method.

12. Accompanying Music
Piano: can be used to play melodies as well as accompanying singing
Autoharp: simple, inexpensive, portable chording instrument
Guitar: more difficult to learn Autoharp; very portable

13. Rhythm Instruments
Generally first types of instruments introduced in class
Benefits:
Build listening skills
Accompany the beat of a sound or recording
Classify, discriminate, experiment with sounds
Develop classification skills by learning the difference between quiet and loud, hard and soft, and etc.

14. Rhythm Instruments, cont’d
Set rules before giving kids instruments to play
What are rules/guidelines for playing with instruments?

15. Types of Rhythm Instruments
Tom toms: can be constructed from empty oatmeal boxes
Shakers: can be constructed from empty tissue and paper towel tubes
Bongo drums: can produce varied tones by hitting rim, center, or elsewhere

16. Types of Rhythm Instruments
Sandpaper sticks: periodically need to have surface covering replaced
Coconut cymbals: sound like horse galloping when they are clapped together

17. Scheduling Music
Should occur throughout the day; after a story, at the start of the day, after a snack, during transitions
Should be scheduled as group activity for four- and five-year-olds
Should occur at same time every day because kids thrive on consistent schedules

18. Group Music Useful for building feelings and pride
Good way to introduce new songs and instruments
Tends to stress conformity; kids are not free to express creativity

19. Listening Activities
Good listening skills help kids build proper speech habits, attention spans
Need to be taught to listen
Fingerplays improve skills
Ex. Clap Your Hands
Clap your hands 1, 2, 3.
Clap your hands just like me.
Roll your hands 1, 2, 3.
Roll your hands just like me.

20. Listening Activities
Games that help listening: (See page 517 for description of games for possible lesson plan ideas)
What’s That Sound
Body Sounds
Instrument Sounds
Guess the Instruments

21. Singing Kids best musical instruments are their voice
Mouthing can add to knowledge
Chants or groups of words spoken with a lively beat
Teaches cooperation and learning to speak in unison