ELA Educator Preparation
Blow your horn and beat your drum! In this unit children have fun listening to and making music. Here are some ideas to create a music-friendly space that will engage children during the week.
Musical Instruments Wall Display Create a wall display with labeled pictures and/or photos of musical instruments, including the drum, guitar, maracas, saxophone, and tambourine. Include photos of people playing instruments. Invite children to look at the pictures and talk about the instruments.
Musical Recordings Bring in a diverse collection of music—children’s music (see “Recommended Books and Media” section), classical, jazz, rock, reggae, folk, country, etc. Play instrumental music as children draw, paint, eat, or rest. Schedule frequent “Move to the Music” breaks and join children in dancing, clapping, twirling scarves or swaying to the sounds. Talk about the music—is it fast or slow? Loud or quiet? Ask, How does the music make you feel? Excited? Calm? Happy? Sad? Which type of music do you like best?
Listening Corner Set up a Listening Corner in the Technology Center where children can listen to music recordings. You can stock it with iPods with pre-loaded music or simply have a few recorders with headphones. Use recordings of jazz, blues, and instrumental music relating to the unit (see “Recommended Books and Media” section), and any recordings of the children making music. You may also want to set up a selection of sets of books about music with accompanying tapes for children to choose from. Encourage children to sit with a partner as they listen and talk about the recordings. What instruments did they hear?
Book-Browsing Boxes Create book-browsing boxes with fiction and nonfiction books about music. Label the boxes with words and a matching picture or symbol. Place them in the Library and other centers.