Playing with Music - Elementary Curriculum Kindergarten through 2nd Grade

Playing with Music is a year-long introductory music curriculum for teachers of kindergarten through second grade. It consists of 38 lessons for a complete year-long music study. It was designed to be both engaging and thorough - building a strong foundation of musical understanding. Lessons are designed for classroom teachers, after-school programs, and homeschoolers. No previous music knowledge is required for the instructor of this course.

These lessons are designed to address the majority of the national music standards from kindergarten through second grade.

Playing with Music is a hands-on program that connects musical knowledge with the students' own experiences and interests. The six units in this curriculum are:

1. Music and Your Life
2. Musical Ideas (concepts such as beat, tempo, and dynamics)
3. When Music Tells a Story
4. Musical Instruments (an introduction to instruments around the world and how they make sound)
5. Musical Notation (teaching the staff, note names and values)
6. Reading, Writing, and Performing Music

The activities in this curriculum include:

• Moving to the music
• Discussion
• Clapping along with classic songs
• Listening to music from around the world
• A science demonstration about sound
• Cut and paste activity with instruments from around the world
• Making three musical instruments
• Connecting to literature
• Using manipulatives to visualize musical note values
• Singing and playing music

Spend a year enjoying music along with your students!