At Mustard Seed, we value music as a very important piece of our curriculum and Ms Mauldin helps the children to experience it in joyful and educational ways each time she visits. The program is based in the Kodaly philosophy of music education and "...focuses on the goals of musical literacy, as well as singing a wide variety of music that is authentic in nature."
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| Ms Mauldin sharing a song book |
Music class begins with singing a greeting, where the class sings hello to Ms Mauldin and then each child sings hello to the child next to him or her. Children are practicing listening skills, matching pitch and repeating something that is sung to them.
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| Greeting each other with singing |
As they sing with Ms Mauldin each week, students gain exposure to and experience in using their voices in different ways:
Loud and soft
Fast and slow
High and low
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| Singing (and gesturing) a high note |
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| Changing voice volume |
Children must think about beat and timing.
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They are learning to listen for a tune and try to sing what they hear. They get experience with singing in a group and singing solo. They develop an "ear" (or inner hearing) for music and musical notes.
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| Song movements! |
Many songs are interactive and have gestures that accompany the words. Sometimes children choose their own movements that go along with the song they are singing, and they must demonstrate to their peers (they are teachers too!). Often, movements keep children engaged and may help with memory as well. You may remember the words or concepts for something better if the words are paired with movement. And moving is fun! That's a Mighty Pretty Motion is a favorite movement song!
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| Helping with motions |
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| "Rise, sugar, rise!" (from A Mighty Pretty Motion) |
As you know from worship, we love to sing here and singing also happens at other times during our days. It is an important part of each day.
You might ask your child to teach you a few songs that Ms Mauldin has taught (that is, if you haven't heard them already!).
A few current favorites:
The Sailor Went To See, See, See
Oh My, No More Pie
The Long-Legged Sailor
Grizzly Bear
Mighty Pretty Motion
I Don't Care If The Rain Comes Down
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| Singing "Goodbye" |
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