Week of June 20th, 2016

Rhythm Sticks!!!

This week in music class, we enjoyed using rhythm sticks to learn a little bit about keeping tempo (fast and slow), quarter notes and half notes. We also explored syllables!

Our first lesson in rhythms came with the song "Half Note Hippo." The song, which features half note rhythms on the sticks, is all about a hippo who is moving slow (I did explain to the children that hippos could also move very fast and that they are very dangerous animals!).

We also sang about "Grandma Moses" who is sick in bed, with a doctor's recommendation of a "peppermint stick" to help her ailing tummy! =)

I was impressed with how quickly students were able to sound out the syllables of their names using the rhythm sticks as well, and our younger students enjoyed singing some songs with puppets and other bouncing/movement songs.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1) What color rhythm sticks did you use in music class this week?

2) Which song moved slowly--was it the hippo song, or Grandma Moses? 

The Hippo Song

3) What did the doctor say that Grandma Moses needed? 

A peppermint stick!

Week of March 7th, 2016

PRESTO AND LARGO

We learned about Presto and Largo this week!

What do these terms mean? Well, they refer to music tempo! 

Presto means a very fast paced tempo in music, and largo means the exact opposite--very slow pace.  How did we learn about these terms today? 

Well, for starters, we practiced saying them! New words can be tricky and need to be repeated quite a bit in the beginning. I held up posters using a rabbit symbol or icon for presto, and a turtle for largo, and encouraged the children to practice saying the new terms. 

After we were introduced to the words and their meanings, we tried using the stir xylophone slowly (largo) and presto (quickly). Lots of giggles could be heard. Even the infants enjoyed trying out the mallot and stirring motion!

 We also practiced moving at these tempos with a drum while listening to two different tempo selections--the extremely presto "Flight of the Bumblebees" and the largo, relaxing "Moonlight Sonata." 

After we had a little practice "feeling" the tempo, we played a fun coloring game. 

I gave the children double sided coloring pages (check the cubby of your 3 & up child) and the children colored the side of the paper that corresponded to the beat of the drum I was playing (if it was presto, they colored the rabbit, if it was largo; the turtle). 

Check out the extender questions below to keep the conversation going at home!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1) What is presto? (Fast tempo or beat!)

2) What is largo? (Slow tempo or beat!)

3) Did you "stir" an instrument in music class this week?