LESSON PLANNING & TEACHING TIPS
Over the coming weeks we will be sharing the experiences of Music teachers who have successfully used Cool4School in their music programme. We begin with music teacher Becky Senko of Rainbow Elementary School, Florida. Becky has taught all ages and has run successful strings and singing programs at senior and elementary level. We wanted to see how she had incorporated Cool4School into her teaching.
MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Becky explained as part of her guiding philosophy that she believed we should 'Start by harnessing the passion and allowing the rest to follow'. So how does that work?
MY APPROACH TO MUSIC ENGAGEMENT
Encourage the student's natural human passion for music - singing, playing, moving. There is no point to worrying about 'music literacy' if they don’t love all of the above. This is what it’s all about. It's the same at Rainbow Elementary; sing, dance and play - love all of it. We’ll learn the lines and spaces in due time.
I put up plain rhythmic sight reading from sightreadingfactory.com on the whiteboard. I included quarter notes, notes and quarter rests. I wanted to see if they were naturally getting to the point where they could read. The thing is - they wanted to read - they enjoyed reading because they love doing rhythms. I asked the third graders to count and clap different measures. They had no problem. The only rhythms I had done with them previously are yours, from Cool4School.
BECKY RECOMMENDS - RHYTHM LESSONS
K-1 K-2 : Numbers 1 to 8, Clave Playalong
K-3 K-4 : Warm Up Rhythms, 3/2 Clave Rhythm with percussion or Boom whackers.
K-5 to K- 8 : Warm Up Rhythms, 3/2 Clave Rhythm with percussion or Boom whackers. Call and Response
COOL4SCHOOL’S ETHOS
There are so many ways to learn. Being able to hear and play what you hear is one of the most important. The documenting of rhythm or melody through notation is part of a more western tradition. Indian and African music and rhythm is done through saying, or hearing. The combination of being able to hear and read is a great skill set to have. Cool4School’s approach is to get the kids playing and doing and enjoying. The progression is that students are open to delving deeper in the understanding.
