When it comes to teaching elementary music, fun is one of the most important words. You want students to love music, and fun is how you get there. When it comes to reading music, it can be boring, but it doesn’t have to be. Enter: Kaboom! Kaboom is my students’ favorite elementary music centers game,… Continue reading How to Play Kaboom! in Elementary Music Class
Category: Elementary Music
Everything about teaching elementary music! Instruments, classroom management, songs, etc.
Write the Room : An Exciting Way to Write Rhythms and Melodies
Let’s face it– if you want elementary music students to be able to read and write music, then you need to have them read and write rhythms and melodies. It can feel boring to have them read and write notes on the staff, but the good news is that it doesn’t have to be. If… Continue reading Write the Room : An Exciting Way to Write Rhythms and Melodies
Best End of Year Music Lessons for Upper Grades
It’s here, it’s here! It’s finally here! Well…. Almost. It’s almost the end of the school year… so how do you keep kids engaged right now?! The upper grades (third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade) can be even more difficult to make music lesson plans for, because they are older and sometimes think they… Continue reading Best End of Year Music Lessons for Upper Grades
Best Sol Mi Songs for the Elementary Music Classroom
When it comes to teaching solfa, sol and mi is where we start. The best way to get these notes engrained in students’ heads is with sol mi songs– especially sol mi songs. Using sol mi songs allows students to have authentic musical experiences while learning their first two melodic notes. Now, by the time… Continue reading Best Sol Mi Songs for the Elementary Music Classroom
Best Games And Lessons To Teach Kids Solfege
Coming up with games and lessons for solfege can seem daunting. You may feel like the only thing to do is to have students read flashcards on the screen. And while I do think there is value in that-- especially before an independent activity-- it’s not all there is to teaching solfege or melody. After… Continue reading Best Games And Lessons To Teach Kids Solfege
How to Play Lucky Lemons Solfege Board Game
Picture this: Me, teaching online for the millionth time. My students, showing up to every few classes, sometimes coming or going halfway through. It’s March and we’re STILL working on la with second grade. As we have been for weeks. I needed something new, a new solfege board game, and Lucky Lemons was the solution. … Continue reading How to Play Lucky Lemons Solfege Board Game
The 6 Best Folk Songs for La in Elementary Music
I don’t know about you, but when my first or second graders learn la, we spend a really long time on it. It’s like they understand sol and mi quickly because there’s only two options, but when we add a third option, it takes a long time for them to have a solid understanding of… Continue reading The 6 Best Folk Songs for La in Elementary Music
The Best Picture Books for Jazz in Elementary Music
Happy Black History Month! Let’s talk picture books for Jazz! Last year, I shared a ton of different books for Black History Month, and this year I wanted to focus on Jazz. All of these books are intended for the elementary music classroom, although some are better for lower grades and some for upper grades.… Continue reading The Best Picture Books for Jazz in Elementary Music
The Greatest Winter Olympics Music Lessons
I may be a choir nerd who never played a sport (except grudgingly in gym class), but I love the Olympics. Maybe it's because I secretly wanted to be an ice skater (quite a feat living in the desert as a kid), but nonetheless, I love both the summer and winter Olympics. So when the… Continue reading The Greatest Winter Olympics Music Lessons
The Best Classroom Management Tools (that you already have!)
When it comes to teaching.... There's a lot going on. So if there is anything that I can use that will help my day run more smoothly, I am going to take it. In this post, I’m sharing some of the classroom management tools that help my day go more smoothly– and most of these… Continue reading The Best Classroom Management Tools (that you already have!)