FULL Kindergarten Performance
Communicating to parents, giving kids confidence
In the last few posts I’ve been sharing the RAW video from my end-of-the-year performances. Thinking about how these lessons culminate in this performance experience is an important element of MusicXT methods. It’s important to consider how to communicate to parents that these kinds of activities are building valuable skills for their children, but also to make a performance that is enjoyable and entertaining! That is a tricky proposition with Kindergarten age students. In the video below you can see how I strike that balance with this group and create a fun program that also demonstrates learning! But first…
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One of the best things you can do at the end of the year is to practice using the MAKE IT MUSIC cards to sharpen your teaching skills and invent new activities!!!!
From the Archive:
The Red Song
I remember being in my undergraduate elementary methods classes and having to assemble a “folksong anthology.” My methods teacher was a Kodaly devotee and really centered these folk songs in her approach. My recollection was that this anthology was so much work and very time consuming, especially in a pre-internet era (I’m getting so old!). I pulled out this old binder years later when I was hired to teach elementary general music, and I tried incorporating the songs in my classes. For me, it felt unnatural to build lessons around these songs. In fact, it feels unnatural for me to build lessons around songs at all! In this post I’ll show you how I use a song to emphasize a sensation or a concept, and how I think about songs as a tool for discovery. But first…
Kindergarten in public schools is a very interesting group! The variety of developmental levels can be staggering, and the goal of teaching Kindergarten has evolved over the years. I’ve heard some say that “Kindergarten is the new 2nd grade” meaning that the goals and expectations of elementary school have drifted down into these primary grades and changed the curriculum. I am a believer that Kindergarten should be a developmental focus, with more emphasis on social and physical acquisition than academic skills.
But how do I demonstrate this approach in a performance? Many Kindergarten performances are “cute” with costumes and silly songs, usually shouted along with a recording. How can I demonstrate the fundamental musical growth the students have shown while also making a show that is entertaining?
I used the imagery of colors to create a show that incorporates much of the in-class curriculum, while also retaining my values and giving the parents a good idea of what happens in our room!