Learning New Things

The past two weeks have been full of new concepts for the kids at POV.  We are exploring new instruments, notes, and rhythms.

Kindergarten is continuing to sing about farm animals.  This week we sang about lambs and hens.  We also played two new instruments, the tambourine and the maracas.  We use the same song every week to introduce a new animal and instrument.

With Halloween approaching, first grade has been talking about spiders and black cats.  We have been improvising movement to different versions of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider."  We even played the xylophones to show the spiders moving up and down the water spout.  The students have been practicing using their bodies to show rhythms and steady beats. 

Second graders are really stepping up their game with rhythm practice.  This week we learned two new music symbols- the half note and the half rest.  We also practiced writing rhythms on our whiteboards.  Have your students show you how to write "ta" and "ti-ti" at home.  We also sang and played our xylophones to a song about Christopher Columbus.

This week in third grade, we began working on the concept of musical questions and answers.  In this video, students are playing a question on the drum and answering on the temple blocks.  We have also started labeling and singing the notes do, re, mi, so, and la on the 5 line music staff.  This is the beginning of our journey to read music!

Fourth graders continue to practice their recorders.  We have now learned the notes B, A, and G.  We can also read them on the staff.  Students are encouraged to take their recorders home and practice these notes. 

The fifth graders are on a roll with their recorders!  This week we learned to play our first song, "BAG Review."  The students not only have to show proper technique, but they now have to read music from the Promethean Board!  We also played the barred instruments to accompany a song this week.

Come back next week and see what we will be learning!  Our Halloween lessons are starting.  During Halloween, we sing about candy, costumes, and trick-or-treating.  Please feel free to email me at ergriffi@vbschools.com if you are interested in knowing what your child's Halloween lesson will incude.