|
West Hartford is well known for
the sequential K-12 educational
program in all arts areas. Vocal
music instruction for each class
of students occurs two times a
week for a half hour beginning
at the kindergarten level and
continuing through fifth grade.
The West Hartford elementary
music curriculum is based on the
ideals expressed by The Kodaly
Method and the National Music
Standards. Over the course of
the elementary school music
program, children are actively
engaged in a music learning
sequence that builds on each
child's natural abilities.
During each year, students learn
at least twenty five new songs
that are drawn from a collection
of authentic folk songs,
traditional nursery rhyme and
game songs, and high quality
composed music. By the time your
child completes the elementary
vocal music program, he or she will
have a musical repertoire that
consists of over 150 songs!
MUSICAL CONCEPTS
While performing, creating, and
responding to music, students
are continuing to learn about
the following musical areas of
melody, rhythm, reading and
writing, part-work, form,
movement, and music listening
and how they are related to the
songs studied.
REINFORCING CONCEPTS
To help each child develop their
singing skills and deepen
understanding of musical
concepts, music classes
typically include opportunities
for students to make connections
in aural/oral ways (i.e.
listening, speaking, singing),
physical ways (i.e. movement);
and visual ways (i.e. pictures,
music notation).
Tools that we use to help
students learn the formal
language of music beginning in
first grade include:
solfege- melodic system used to
represent musical pitches (i.e.
do re mi fa so...)
rhythmic syllables- system used
to express the length of notes
(i.e. ta= quarter note; ti=
eighth note; teri = sixteenth
notes )
hand signs- physical
representation of solfege
Your child's musical development
in elementary school continues
to grow with your support!!
Please contact Mrs. Saraceno
(Voice Mail Box #232) or Mrs.
Striefer (Voice Mail Box #230)
in person or through voice mail
if you have questions about
music curriculum. |
