They then played different tunes, scales or improvised melodies, just as one might hear if travelling to a large city. The children learned authentic songs for the season, accompanying themselves on instruments as well as learning a ribbon dance. Kindergartners have been working with games and activities to reinforce feeling the steady beat as well as reading simple rhythms to songs and poems about winter fun. They have also done a wonderful job writing their own chant about some of the favorite things they have been doing in school. Second graders have used movement to enhance poetry, practiced their solfege and they're now learning about accents through singing, speech, movement and playing instruments.
Third graders are hard at work with their recorder playing.
This program also reinforces good listening habits and polite audience skills while giving children self assurance as they perform for their peers. We were very fortunate to have Maria Gillard with us for a day. Ms. Gillard is a folk singer from New York state. She and Mr. Gillard, her brother, performed for an assembly and later on in the day she visited second and third grade music classes. Fourth and fifth graders have been learning about Beethoven, our Composer of the Month.