... KINDERGARTEN ...
Movement in the Music Room : Body Percussion
Body Percussion is a wonderful and fun way to practice, explore, and improve upon so many musical concepts in Kindergarten. Everyday when the Kindergartners come to music specials we always warm up our musical brain with about 5 - 7 minutes of moving. There is a routine (see below) that students must follow, but at the beginning and end of the routine, students are allowed to "freestyle." This means they may move freely to the music from their knees up to the top of their head but feet must stay "glued" to the floor to help us practice the concept of personal space. Also, at the very beginning when the music starts, students must remain perfectly still in "popsicle stick position" to work on self-control which is so important in a performance situation. They are allowed to wiggle their fingers and/or their toes, as asking a 5 year old to remain perfectly still while a great techno beat is playing, is all but impossible. During our body percussion, we work on attention/listening skills by listening for certain commands and cues such as "red, yellow, and orange," which means any student standing on those color spots may dance while other student "freeze." We also work on gross motor skills by doing various dance movements at a variety of speeds. While we are actually clapping, snapping, patting, and stomping, students are exposed to thinking about patterns and steady beat. It's great physical exercise also. Click on the music player below and have your Kindergartner show you how we do body percussion in the music room.
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Some of the dance moves we do in the middle are:
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If you want a slower song to practice with use this one.
This is the song we use in the classroom during Body Percussion time.
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... Level 1 Pattern ...
slide courtesy of Linda Abbott
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... Level 2 Pattern ...
slide courtesy of Linda Abbott
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Learning How to Read Music : Rhythm Reading
Kindergarten is the perfect time for students to begin learning how to read music. Just as they are working on their reading skills in their homeroom, we work on learning the basics of learning how to read music. As an extension of reading our Body Percussion Patterns, we make patterns with notes instead of body movements. We learn about the values of the whole, half, and quarter notes, as well as how those notes relate to each other. Students practice reading the notes in 4-8 measure patterns, using both their voice and hands to communicate understanding. Using the mimeo board, students get to take turns composing and then the whole class reads the rhythms.
... Winter Wonderland Concert Practice ...
More information coming soon!
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... A Time for Love ...
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... It's So Nice on the Ice ...
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