It seems like most elementary music teachers right now are teaching at least some virtual lessons. We’re also faced with social distancing, which complicates most of the games we’d normally play during class. That’s why I recommend using the song Alcitrón for your lessons. Here are a few reasons to…
Category: Solfege
Simplify Concentric Circle Games
My classroom is rather spacious, but pull out the risers and a few instruments and suddenly the movement space dwindles. Here are a few ideas for implementing exciting lessons in small spaces. Tideo and John Kanaka both have concentric circles as part of the game formation. However, I teach Tideo…
Solfége Problems? New Strategies to the Rescue!
At workshops, teachers often ask me, “Can your students really read that solfége?” Or sometimes it isn’t an outright question, but it’s a statement such as, “I don’t like teaching solfége because it’s hard.” Although I understand where you’re coming from, just because something is hard doesn’t mean it should…
Who’s That Tapping at the Window
It’s been several months since I wrote a blog post, so I’ll write about a favorite song that I just posted under Resources for Teachers, Solfége and Rhythm examples. Who’s That Tapping at the Window is a folk song with amazing potential. The source listed in my song collection is…
Tongo – Polynesian Canoe Song
This awesome folk song has multiple uses. Its pentatonic range of low la up to la (la, do re mi so la) allows teachers to use it with multiple grade levels. The syncopated rhythms and dotted quarter note and eighth note rhythms make it engaging for upper elementary as well….
General 
What’s in the cards?
Choosing individual students can be challenging because some students are eager to participate, some are shy, others reluctant, but all need opportunities to participate in class and we have to assess them. Many years ago a colleague shared an idea of using a set of cards for class games, and…
Differentiation in the Elementary Music Classroom
Differentiation. It’s a word we hear in staff development all the time and most music teachers probably think, “I differentiate instruction to meet the needs of the students in every class!” Although it’s true that we do this through our activities, I’ve never done it with worksheets. However, considering all…
Hogs in the Cornfield – the first song request!
Here’s a big “Thank you” to Lori for suggesting a song to post. It was a good choice, too! Not only is Hogs in the Cornfield a useful song, but it’s a fun game for the students to play. Here are a few ways that I use Hogs in the…
Bow, Wow, Wow do presentation
Feel free to use this picture for your personal classroom use. It will be available for download on my Resources for Teachers page. My second grade students know the solfége pitches la, so, and mi and have learned do aurally. It’s time for the visual presentation and I’ll be using the third phrase of Bow, Wow, Wow. I’ve presented it…