Reinforce note reading with your students

I recently invited my general music students in grades 3-5 to play the music note memory game in class and it was a big hit. It took about 12 minutes of class time and they enjoyed it while reinforcing note reading in a fun, collaborative way. I printed 8 game sheets out in color and stamped each square on the back with a smiley face so the students could arrange them on the floor right side up while preparing for the game. I then laminated the sheets, cut them into squares and put them in separate containers. It took only about 30 minutes of prep time after asking our school secretary to laminate the sheets.

I had eight containers of game pieces so there would be at most 3 students playing together. The memory game sheets can be found in a music activity worksheet packet for $5 at the following link. Included in the activity packet are other games and activites to reinforce more note reading, solfege singing and rhythm reading. I was so pleased at how much the students enjoyed this simple music variation to the classic memory game.

Link to purchase activity sheets.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Music-Worksheets-and-Activities

Why Music? Why Now?

Researchers now know that music activities will engage the young brain more than any other human activity. When researchers dissect a healthy human brain, nothing about the person's life experience or IQ can be determined. However, they can tell if the person was a musician, especially a musician trained at a young age because the musician's brain is markedly enlarged in approximately 20-30 areas.

There are striking changes that can occur with a single year of musical instruction. Only music seems to have the power to alter the brain during life particularly during the first years of life.

 

 

How long should I practice?

How long should we advise our students to practice their instrument?

The younger the child, the less time should be spent. It's more important to advise parents and students to practice a smaller amount of time more often. For 5-6 year olds: 8-10 minutes each day. Try to establish a routine time to practice just as you schedule in time to brush your teeth. 7-8 year olds can go 10-12 minutes and 9-10 year olds should practice about 15 minutes.

Another thing to consider: Depending on what instrument the child is playing, too much practice at one time can actually do harm.  If the child practices too long, the muscles become too tired to keep up the correct playing positions, posture and muscle control for a good tone and bad habits will quickly develop.

Older students that are in middle school can practice 20-30 minutes for each session. Once the child becomes a serious enough player to have a private teacher, join youth groups that require auditions or enter into musical adjudicated events and competitions, then they can establish longer and longer practice sessions to prepare.

Best advice I ever got

When I was in college, a professor of music gave some advice to our class of young wannabe music teachers. She said, " Your students are coming to your music class to play music. Let them play!"
I'll never forget that small, simple piece of advice and when I'm starting to launch into a long lecture about playing technique or music theory or something, her voice creeps into my head. "Just let them play music." It really simplifies things for me and helps me remember to keep the kids engaged in music making whether it be playing an instrument, singing a song or moving to a beat in a dance.