How to Teach Music in Kindergarten

Teaching music to children will provide a new set of skills that will help to enhance their overall abilities. Knowing where to start teaching music to kindergartners is the first step to making sure that they are introduced to musical concepts in the correct way.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Method book
• Music games
• Songs

1. Prepare the curriculum. Before you introduce any musical concepts to children, you will want to prepare your own curriculum. This should include a step-by-step program that will introduce them to the basic concepts of music and will allow them to explore music. The basic concepts should also include songs that they can learn and supplements that will help them to learn the concepts more thoroughly.

2. Start with rhythm. Begin teaching music to kindergartners with concepts that are easy to grasp. Defining basic rhythms, both by the note values and symbols and by how to count, will help with an easy introduction. Adding this in with counting and clapping or with using rhythmic instruments will allow them to completely grasp this concept.

3. Add in the melodies. After children have rhythm down, add simple melodies. Teaching them children's songs or folk melodies will provide a strong basis for later musical concepts. The easiest way to do this is to play something, then have them repeat it by singing. You can do this until the song is memorized.

4. Show them how the melody works. If the copy and repeat option for melodies doesn't help the children to tune in, you can add in more supplements for helping them to learn the different pitches. Having visual displays, movements that they can do or games that help them get to each note will help them to define the tones that they are using.

Tips & Warnings

• Whether you are focusing on the melody or rhythm, you want to make sure that the concepts of listening are the main component. Adding in basic ear training concepts, such as whether notes move up or down, will allow children to grasp musical ideas even more.
• Use class collaboration as a tool. Because music is something that is heard, it is easier for children to learn if another child is learning with them.
• Know the limits. For most children, learning music in kindergarten is the first developmental stage of being introduced to this concept. Knowing that they won't hit every note or rhythm is important to consider while you are teaching them the concepts.

[BPATTEN]

on 10/9/2008 When teaching rhythms to K-2, we first learn the song with words (hopefully on correct pitches :^)! Then, after students are familiar with the song (both words and pitches) we have a group discussion about which rhythms (ta, titi, ta-a, rest) each word or word group represents. Finally, we sing the song (always tapping the beat with fingers) singing (on pitch) the rhythm symbols (ta, titi, ta-a, rest) in the place of the words and silences.
B Patten, Longview, WA