Teaching music to larger class sizes can be both exhilarating and challenging. In the past few years, I have had around 40 singers each in my 3rd-4th and 5th-7th grade homeschool choirs that meet once per week, so I understand the desire and need to connect with students individually but efficiently. The key to success lies in finding ways to engage every student while managing time effectively. One of the most effective methods is to incorporate activities that involve solos, instruments, and games in a way that allows each student to take turns over multiple class periods. This approach not only keeps the class fun and engaging but also provides opportunities for individual connection and assessment. Here’s how you can implement this strategy in your music classroom.
Rotating Turns: A Balanced Approach
1. Plan Your Activities Well
When planning your lessons, consider activities that can be broken down into smaller segments, allowing for individual participation. Here are a few ideas:
- Solos During Echo Songs or Tonal Patterns: Encourage students to sing back a short echo for a warm-up, call and response or echo song, or tonal pattern (if you use Conversational Solfege). In this way, you can truly have every student sing a solo (one line of the echo song) even in large classes and it takes less than 3 minutes!
- Instrumental Rotations: Utilize an instrument for a beat-keeping activity that holds attention (a loud one you don't use often is good for this because you only take out one at a time!). Each student takes a turn playing that instrument to the steady beat while the class speaks or sings a rhyme or simple song to the beat that student set the tempo with. You get to assess that student's steady beat! And each student eventually gets a turn with the special instrument. Pro tip: write down the student's assessment score (referencing a rubric if needed) to check off that they got a turn.
2. Divide and Conquer
Instead of trying to give every student a turn in one class period, spread the activity over two or three sessions. This approach ensures that each student gets a meaningful opportunity to participate without feeling rushed. Here's how you can structure it:
- Session 1: Begin with every student doing the echo or beat keeping on their lap together. Ensure that they can confidently do it as a group.
- Session 2: Begin with confident students/students you know will be a good model of what you are wanting to accomplish if they are new at this. Take requests of who wants to go next or follow a predescribed pattern like "go around the circle."
- Session 3-4: Complete with the remaining students, ensuring everyone has had a chance to participate.
Keeping Track: The Importance of Documentation
1. Use a Turn Tracker
Create a simple chart or spreadsheet to track which students have had their turns. This can be as straightforward as a checklist with student names and dates. Keeping track ensures fairness and helps you plan future sessions. I used a spreadsheet with student names and columns describing which activity and the date so I could track their growth over time and do multiple assessments in one class period easily if needed.
2. Assess and Reflect
While students are taking their turns, use this opportunity to assess their skills and progress. Make notes on their performance, strengths, and areas for improvement if needed. This documentation will be invaluable for providing feedback and tailoring future lessons to meet individual needs.
Building Connections: The Power of Individual Attention
1. Personalized Feedback
After each student's turn, offer personalized feedback if the activity makes sense. In an echo song where each student echos one line, this wouldn't work. In a steady beat activity though, you may say, "Thank you, Johnny, for keeping a steady beat. Pass to Suzie." or "You sped up at the end, Johnny, we are trying to keep a steady beat. Pass to Suzie." Highlight their strengths and provide constructive suggestions for improvement. This individual attention can boost their confidence and motivation.
2. Foster a Supportive Environment
Encourage students to support and cheer for each other during their turns. This creates a positive classroom atmosphere and helps build a sense of community. In younger grades, this could look like a clap for each person after their turn, a thumbs up to their classmate if they could hear that they sang in tune, or a smile as they sit down.
Final Pro Tip
Allow a student to pass their turn if they are not yet comfortable with the activity, you as the teacher, or the classroom space. This could be because it's the beginning of the year, they are shy, they are new to the school part way through the year... there could be so many reasons why a student chooses to pass on any given day. I encourage them to try but if they choose to pass, know that they are still learning and engaging, just in a different way that day. Near the end of the year, I always encourage students to try and occasionally have "no passing" days where everyone tries. I have found that I earn their trust, especially at the beginning of the year, by having this policy.
By rotating turns over multiple class periods, you can effectively manage larger class sizes through keeping the pace moving while also ensuring that every student gets a chance to shine. This approach not only keeps the activities engaging and fun but also allows you to connect with each student individually and assess their progress. With careful planning and documentation, you can create a dynamic and inclusive music classroom where every student feels valued and inspired. For more ideas for larger class sizes (I teach a lot of big groups!), check out Freelance Music Teacher Moms.
"Feierabend Fundamentals" by Dr. John Feierabend is a groundbreaking book that not only delves into the core principles of music education but also emphasizes child-centered learning in the realm of musical expression. As a self-employed music teacher, this is one of the foundational books on which I build my philosophy of teaching and basis for instruction. Dr. Feierabend, a distinguished figure in the field of music education, seamlessly intertwines his expertise with a refreshing perspective on fostering creativity, autonomy, and learner-centered expression.
One of the book's standout features is its comprehensive systems of teaching and learning fundamental musical concepts. Dr. Feierabend's approach is both scholarly and accessible, making it an ideal resource for educators, students, and anyone passionate about the art of music. Through engaging anecdotes and practical examples, he navigates readers through the essential building blocks of musical understanding, emphasizing creating a strong foundation for children by the age of 7 or 8.
However, what truly sets "Feierabend Fundamentals" apart is its emphasis on freedom in the musical journey. Dr. Feierabend passionately advocates for nurturing individual creativity and allowing learners, especially children, to find their unique voices within the framework of musical theory. He argues that true musical proficiency is not just about mastering notes and rhythms but also about cultivating a personal connection in creating with the art form, especially during the formative years of child development.
The book challenges traditional notions of musical education that may stifle creativity by promoting rigid structures and stifling conformity. Dr. Feierabend encourages readers to break free from these constraints through a structure that promotes individuality, fostering an environment where self-expression, particularly in a child-centered context, is not only welcomed but celebrated. In doing so, he empowers educators and parents to guide children in embracing their musical identities, fostering a sense of ownership over their artistic endeavors.
Dr. Feierabend's insights are not only informative but also inspiring, motivating readers to rethink their approach to teaching and learning music, particularly when working with young learners. The book is structured in a way that encourages reflection, providing thought-provoking prompts and exercises that prompt readers to apply the principles discussed, making it especially valuable for those involved in child-centered musical education.
"Feierabend Fundamentals" is a must-read for educators, parents, and enthusiasts alike who seek to go beyond the confines of traditional music education, especially when working with children. Dr. Feierabend's advocacy for freedom, autonomy, and child-centered learning serves as a guiding light, encouraging readers to view music not just as a set of rules but as a boundless realm where individual creativity can flourish, particularly in the context of nurturing the next generation in what's known as his "30 year plan." As a result, this book stands as a comprehensive reference resource for those who need or want an all-in-one guide to Dr. Feierabend's philosophies and materials.
Sight Singing and Ear Training are fundamental skills in music education. Most colleges teach it over the course of a few different classes, and many people view it as skills you can't teach until middle school or later... but I love teaching these skills to students as young as 2nd grade (who are already tuneful, beatful, and artful!) in as little as 5 minutes per day. It can be done well and creatively so that students experience it in a joyful, fun way.
Sight singing is the ability to read and sing a piece of music at first sight without having heard it before. It involves translating the written musical notation into vocal sounds. This ideally is done AFTER having some foundational skills built first, namely ear training skills.
Skills Involved:
- Note Recognition: The ability to identify and sing the correct pitches indicated in the musical score.
- Rhythm Recognition: Being able to interpret and execute the rhythm of a piece accurately.
- Interval Recognition: Recognizing the distance between two pitches, which helps in accurately reproducing melodies.
- Key and Scale Recognition: Understanding the key signature and scale of a piece, which guides the performer on which notes to sing.
- Phrasing and Articulation: Interpreting the musical notation to convey musical expression, including dynamics, tempo, and articulation.
Ear training, also known as aural skills, involves developing the ability to identify and reproduce musical elements solely by hearing them. This includes melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre. My goal is always to develop the musical ear before the musical eye.
Skills Involved:
- Pitch Recognition: Identifying individual pitches and intervals between them.
- Melodic Dictation: Hearing a melody and writing it down in musical notation.
- Harmonic Analysis: Recognizing and identifying chords and chord progressions in a musical piece.
- Rhythmic Dictation: Hearing a rhythm and notating it accurately.
- Chord Progression Recognition: Identifying the sequence of chords in a piece of music.
- Transcription: Listening to a piece of music and notating it in sheet music form.
Both ear training and sight singing are essential for any musician who wants to perform, compose, or arrange music. It enables musicians to effectively communicate and collaborate with others. Musicians with strong sight singing and ear training skills can adapt to various musical styles and genres. These skills empower musicians to improvise and create their own music. It hones the ability to critically analyze and appreciate music. Both sight singing and ear training are skills that can be developed and honed through consistent practice and training. They are vital components of a well-rounded musical education.
Conversational Solfege is a system of 12 steps that addresses these needs first by ear and then adding the eye and symbols to it to develop a person's musical mind and musical thinking in a playful, creative way!
To learn more about Conversational Solfege, check it out here. And here are the flash cards I use that go with the CS units. I'm happy to chat more about CS as well, it's a passion of mine to use this well-created resource to help develop young musicians.
Conversational Solfege is a system of 12 steps that addresses these needs first by ear and then adding the eye and symbols to it to develop a person's musical mind and musical thinking in a playful, creative way!
To learn more about Conversational Solfege, check it out here. And here are the flash cards I use that go with the CS units. I'm happy to chat more about CS as well, it's a passion of mine to use this well-created resource to help develop young musicians.
