- chart paper
- marker
- picture of guitar
- spoons
- toy guitar
- zipper
- band
- guitar
- music
- musical instrument
- pluck
- sound
- strum
MA Standards:
Literature: RL.PK.MA.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about a story or a poem read aloud.
Literature: RL.PK.MA.9 With prompting and support, make connections between a story or poem and one’s own experiences.
/Literature: RL.PK.MA.3 With prompting and support, act out characters and events from a story or poem read aloud.
Language: L.PK.MA.4 Ask and answer questions about the meanings of new words and phrases introduced through books, activities, and play.
Head Start Outcomes:
Literacy Knowledge/Book Appreciation and Knowledge Asks and answers questions and makes comments about print materials.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Reading and Literature 6 Listen to a wide variety of age appropriate literature read aloud.
English Language Arts/Reading and Literature 10 Engage actively in read-aloud activities by asking questions, offering ideas, predicting or retelling important parts of a story or informational book.
Read Together: Violet’s Music
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
STEM Key Concepts: Sounds have a source; An action has to happen to make a sound; Different objects make different sounds
ELA Focus Skills: Concepts of Print, Interpreting Illustrations, Listening and Speaking, Story Comprehension, Vocabulary
Tell children that you are going to read Violet's Music by Angela Johnson--a book about a girl who loves to make music all day long. Set a reading focus for children by having them listen for all the different ways Violet makes music throughout the story.
Before You Read
Introduce the book by showing the cover. Have children review the role of the author and illustrator. Point to the cover illustration and ask, What do you think the girl is doing? Ask children to look carefully at the musical instrument she is playing. Explain that Violet is pretending to play a musical instrument called a guitar. Show children a toy guitar or a picture of a guitar. Explain that a guitar is a musical instrument with strings. To play it, you pluck or strum the strings with your fingers.
Hold a toy guitar and pluck the strings. Say, When you play a guitar, you pluck the strings with your fingers. Ask, Have you ever plucked anything before? Elicit from children that they plucked rubber bands to make music. Pretend that you are holding and plucking a guitar. Invite children to join you in miming the motions.
As You Read
Read slowly and with expression.
- Act out the sounds Violet makes with her rattle, horn, and guitar. Extend the sounds and invite children to join in—Boom, Shake, Beat, Shake; Boom, Shake, Beat, Shake . . .
- As you read the page that shows Violet’s kindergarten class, point to the children who like to paint, paste, and play in the sandbox. Ask, Can you find Violet? What musical instrument is she playing? (If necessary, give a clue. Say, It’s the name of the shape of the instrument—a triangle.)
- Turn to the page with the illustration of Violet’s band. Explain that the word band has different meanings. Ask, What did we use to make our guitar instruments? (rubber band) What do you call a group of musicians playing together, like Violet and her friends? (a band)
After You Read
Talk with children about the ways Violet makes music. Hold up the spread that shows Violet making music at breakfast, dinner, bath time, and all times in between.
- Point to the illustration of Violet tapping two spoons together. Ask, How does Violet make music at breakfast time? Who would like to try that? Pass around two spoons for children to tap together.
- Point to the illustration of Violet singing in the bath. Ask, What does Violet do to make music in the bath? Do you like to sing in the bath?
- Point to the illustration of Violet zipping a pencil case. Ask, What is Violet doing here to make music? Who would like to try to make music with a zipper? Ask a volunteer to demonstrate with a zippered jacket or bag. Give other children a turn.
- What are some other ways that Violet makes music?
- What are some ways that you like to make music?