I am always striving to get my older kids engaged in meaningful ways. I want them to be as creative as they once were in their early years, but it becomes increasingly difficult to get them out of their shells. One method I always turn to is steady beat work, especially just moving around to… Continue reading Mixing up the Meter
Category: Orff
Davy Dumpling
I love doing this song this time of year because winter is always a great time for baking and talking about baking. This is another one of those songs that you can take in a million different directions. I have some favorites that I’m going to share with you. Ingredient Sounds With my littles we… Continue reading Davy Dumpling
Ickle Ockle
This lesson is great for teaching or reviewing all sorts of things in the music room. I have used it with 1st-3rd graders depending on what my goals were for the lesson. This year we are using it at the beginning of 2nd grade for all sorts of review. We start by learning the song… Continue reading Ickle Ockle
Early Mallet Playing
The beginning of the year is full of introducing new things in the music room. This week my first graders are just beginning their introduction to mallet playing and barred instruments. Before we ever touch the barred instruments I always like to have some practice with my little ones on how to hold their mallets… Continue reading Early Mallet Playing
Star Unit…Part 1
I have been working on this “unit” in my classroom for many years. Tweaking lessons, adding things, and trying new stuff out. This year I finally felt like I found a set of lessons that clicked with my students and the goals that I set out for them to learn. I have loved doing this… Continue reading Star Unit…Part 1