Preparatory
Just as children need to speak before learning to read and write a language,
they need to learn to “speak” music before learning its more abstract
concepts. Through activities that use singing, creative movement, and
simple visual reinforcements, your child will learn the basic concepts
of the musical language, as well as how to move to the beat of music,
to sing simple songs in the correct range for children, and to recognize
contrasted concepts such as high/low, fast/slow, loud/soft, and short/long.
Our lessons assume no prior training in singing or reading music by
either you or your child. For those without a music background, the lessons
and materials are designed to make you comfortable teaching music to your
child. As you participate in these activities, you will be learning and
having fun right along with your child. If you have music training, so
much the better—you can build on what K12 offers. Even if your child has
experience reading music or playing an instrument, this program is designed
to develop the ear and listening skills needed to become a well-rounded
musician.
The K12 Music Program provides step-by-step guidance in each lesson.
You may choose to print an entire lesson, or you may follow the lesson
on the computer screen. While some activities use computer animations,
most of the teaching and learning take place away from the computer. In
general, you will need a room with enough space to move around comfortably
within view of a television screen for the videos.
We believe that every child has the ability to learn to sing properly,
to learn to read and write music, and to develop an appreciation for great
music from the world’s traditions.
Singing
All children have a natural desire to sing. The voice is a child’s first
and best instrument for learning about music. The best music for training
the voice is folk music—that is, the traditional songs that have been
sung and enjoyed by people in various cultures, and passed on from one
generation to another. K12 has taken care to choose developmentally appropriate
folk songs for the CDs and videos that accompany this program, and to
produce original recordings in authentic styles, performed by voices in
a child’s natural range with minimal accompaniment for clarity.
Music Literacy
K12’s approach to music literacy is different from the traditional instrumental
music approach. Rather than approaching concepts intellectually, your
student will start by training the ear. Through singing and fun movement
activities, your child learns the basic elements of music, such as beat,
pitch, and melody. These activities ensure that your child experiences
the “language” of music. This concrete experience prepares your child
to learn more abstract skills and concepts in later grades, including
the skills required to read and write music. Even if your child has taken
instrumental music lessons, these activities will benefit your child’s
developing ear and musicianship.
Active Listening
Music lessons that include selections from the Let’s
Listen CD encourage active listening to great works from western
classical music. Activities encourage your child to listen with imagination
and discernment, and to respond to the beauty and emotional power of great
music.
Learning Method
Lessons are based on the learning method created by the composer Zoltán
Kodály for use in European classrooms and adapted by American teachers
during the past 40 years. Key to the structure of this method are the
three P’s: Prepare, Present, and Practice:
Prepare:
This is the crucial stage in learning music. Just as you need to speak
before you can read, you need to be able to hear a music concept before
you can read and write it. The child is asked to explore a music concept
gradually, through movement and singing activities. These activities are
designed to focus the child’s attention and curiosity on the particular
aspect of music. They also train the child to hear the concept first before
naming it. This preparation period may take place over several lessons,
or even over an entire unit. Present:
These lessons take the discoveries that the student has made, synthesize
them, and give them a name and a symbol. Presentation usually takes place
in one key lesson. Practice:
In this phase, the student takes the knowledge gained in the Prepare and
Present phases and applies them to many different musical situations.
The aim of this phase is to make these skills automatic, a part of the
student’s musical vocabulary. Skills are practiced intensely for an entire
unit, but are continually revisited during a student’s years in K12 Music.
Repetition and Sequencing
Research in music education suggests that younger children learn best
through frequent repetition of songs and concepts. The K12 curriculum
is designed around this principle. Most songs are repeated at least four
times in one year, and some songs may be repeated more than four times.
This repetition will help your student build a stable repertoire of traditional
songs. It will also allow your student to achieve mastery over a period
of time rather than during each lesson. During each repetition, your child
will examine a new aspect of the song or learn a new skill.
You should also retain your CD material for use in future grades. Older
students may revisit some of these songs as their skills develop and they
are able to identify more and more of the phrases.
Total lessons:
72. If you teach Music twice a week, you can comfortably complete the
program within a typical school year. Lesson time:
45 minutes. You might choose to split the lessons into smaller segments.
K12’s online lesson tracking system allows you to pick up wherever you
left off in any given lesson.
In the Preparatory and Beginning Levels, the adult and child work together
throughout most of the lesson. Each lesson includes a selection of the
following:
Songs and Activities
Activities:
Games introduce the lesson and reinforce the concept of beat
in music. Songs reinforce the main objectives of the lesson. Skills Development:
A vocal or rhythm warm-up exercises the voice and reviews melodic or rhythm
concepts from previous lessons. Read and Write
Music: A practice page (an activity sheet) that your child completes
reinforces the main idea of a lesson. You can keep it in the portfolio
as documentation of your child’s progress through the program. Music Appreciation:
Activities introduce the instruments of the orchestra, the culture in
which music was created, or the relationship of music to story.
Active Listening
Assessment
A few simple questions track progress and assess your child’s grasp
of the main concepts in the lesson.
Beyond the Lesson
Optional activities extend concepts and skills from the lesson, and
present suggested resources for further listening, singing, or reading.
These activities may include resources beyond those provided by K12.
Materials to Have on Hand
CD player Computer with printer DVD player and television Household items such as stuffed animals, chairs,
and Popsicle sticks For some of the Beyond the Lesson (optional) activities,
you will need the Wee Sing Sing-Alongs
CD and Ella Jenkins, Early Early Childhood
Songs. K12 does not provide these, but you can obtain them easily
through a music retailer.
To document your child’s progress in the course, keep a portfolio (a
three-ring binder with pocket folders) of completed Practice Pages and
any other work done on paper.
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