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Your kindergartner and music
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By Miriam Myers , GreatSchools Staff
Learning notes
In a rich music program, kindergarten students develop a beginning recognition of musical notation. They learn to read simple musical notes and use invented symbols to represent a beat. Bakeman explains: "An 'invented symbol' could be anything that represents the beat. For example, I could use bird picture cards to represent the invented symbol. I would place eight bird cards on the board. As I point to each card the students say 'chirp.' Then I remove a few bird cards and explain that sometimes in music we have sound and silence. I then draw a quarter rest in the place of the removed bird card, and we practice saying 'chirp' for each bird card and then remain silent for the rests."
Listening and moving
You can expect your kindergartner to be exposed to many different kinds of songs with different beats and rhythms. He learns to develop an ear for beat. He responds to beat, rhythm and qualities of music, such as loud and soft, and fast and slow. Your child skips, hops, marches, claps, tiptoes, steps to the beat and makes creative movements to music, showing her understanding of rhythm, beat and the feeling of the music. She may use props, such as scarves, along with the movements.
What to Look for When You Visit
- Charts displayed with songs in enlarged text
- Sound recordings from a wide variety of cultures and styles
- Puppets or other props used for singing or movement games
