Music curriculum for K/ 1st

[Guest ajfetzer]

Hello,

I am looking for a music curriculum for my Kindergarten and 1st grader. I am looking for something that incorporates music theory and music appreciation. I have found quite a bit for music appreciation but very little that also incorporates music theory. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)

 

Amie

[PeacefulChaos]

Have you considered music lessons? I know they aren't possible for everyone, but that's where our music theory comes into play... Sorry I'm not much help! :)

[Mama Anna]

For us, also, music theory happens in the course of piano lessons.

 

As a probably unhelpful sidenote, I did see some old copies of music theory curriculum in our seminary library meant for grade-schoolers . . . I'm not at all sure it would still be available. But if you want me to try and find it again to give you the specifics, feel free to PM me!

 

Mama Anna

[marylandhsmom]

Hello,

I am looking for a music curriculum for my Kindergarten and 1st grader. I am looking for something that incorporates music theory and music appreciation. I have found quite a bit for music appreciation but very little that also incorporates music theory. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)

 

Amie

 

You could try music capers. Supposed to be fun and an easy way to introduce kids to theory.

[skeeterbug]

Not curriculum, but I just bought this book which is so fun and would be perfect as a read-aloud for those ages. Mine has a different title than the one I linked to, The Magnificent Music Book. At some point the series of books were re-published and given different names. I bought mine used, it's worth keeping an eye out for it.

[Guest ajfetzer]

Thank you for the suggestions. I am planning to have them take piano lessons at some point so I guess if I combined that with music appreciation that would probably be enough.

[Dmmetler]

The complete music reading activities kit, with an inexpensive keyboard or mallet percussion instrument for music theory, coupled with reading Mike Venezia's books about the composers and listening to their music and/or picking a culture and learning about their instruments/music and listening to quite a bit. I've written group music curriculum and that's essentially what we do for each lesson for this age group-basic theory and music reading ON an instrument, but taught in parallel (playing is done after learning to read/sing off the instrument), coupled with appreciation and music experiences.

 

I have not yet seen a homeschool marketed curriculum that I like-the reason why I recommend the Music Reading activities kit is that it's a PS program designed for differentiation, where you'd have multiple kids working at their own pace on keyboards with headphones, and therefore there are rarely any activities that require more than 2 students at the same level at the same time, so it is more easily adapted to HS use than the group programs. I will say that it's also written to about a 3rd-4th grade reading level, so I'd suggest that you use it as a guide in teaching, NOT give it directly to your child. For K/1, I'd suggest either rewriting or enlarging the notation so it's bigger as well, and letting your kids use larger staff paper (print online) and dot stickers for pitched notation initially, so writing isn't the issue. For rhythmic notation, short and long popsicle sticks and washers work well-short ones as flags, long ones as stems, washers as whole and half notes.

[Guest ajfetzer]

I really like the concept of The complete music reading activities kit that might be just what I have been looking for!

[KristenR]

I don't know about a full curriculum but you can incorporate cuisenaire rods into your lessons. Here is a related section from a thread awhile back. Here is the link to the thread.

 

>>>M. Georges Cuisenaire's educational background included both the study of education and music (he trained as a composer in the Conservatory). Knowing the relationship between math and music, he used his knowledge of music to influence him in developing the rods. Longer story short, he had the idea to express numbers in color. He spent 20 years experimenting (in educational settings) with his ideas before arriving at the final product we use today. The coloring is partly psychological and was not chosen randomly. The unit rod (1) is white (it is basic and inherent in all other lengths). The 2, 4, and 8 rods are red, purple, and brown (notice the progression/relation of colors). The 3, 6, and 9 rods are light green, dark green, and blue. The 5 and 10 rods are yellow and orange. The 7 rod is black and does not fit into the other families. The idea is to see numbers and their multiples represented by related colors (as well as the regular gradation of length). While you never sit and explain all of this to the child, it is supposed to serve a purpose. In everything I've ever heard or experienced so far, it seems the adults (who already have an understanding of numbers) seem to have a harder time getting over the colors than the children do. >>>