Feature Article
Teaching Kids to Read Music:
The Role of the National Standards
by Jane M. Kuehne
Beginning teachers often struggle with the Standard 1: harmonies on instruments brings, students
daily routine of teaching. In some cases, Singing Alone and With Others a Varied begin in a secondary music program ill-
they may apply for a job, interview and Repertoire prepared and teachers at that level must fill
begin teaching students in a little as a two- When children learn to sing large amounts in the missing gaps of information needed
week span. As much as their music and of melodies within many different harmonic to begin to read notation.
music education professors try to prepare structures, they are also learning to hear
them, ultimately, the tasks required for those melodies. Often teachers expect that Standard 3:
successful teaching fall on the teacher and it music reading will come naturally and Improvising Melodies, Variations, and
is up to each individual to take up the begin with staff notation. Without the Accompaniments
exciting challenges of teaching. foundation of hearing and then singing If students can learn to hear music in a way
One thought that can give new teachers (or those melodies, students are missing an that allows them to freely improvise
any teachers) pause is the idea that they are essential part of music reading. If they have melodies and variations using many
responsible for teaching kids everything never heard it before, how can they be different accompaniments or harmonic
they need to know in order to successfully expected to read it from a page? When does structures, this is definitely a key to
read music. If this causes anxiety, it can be singing begin? It most likely begins on day beginning to read music. Inner hearing and
exacerbated when high school teachers tell one in Kindergarten. So by the time a at least some understanding of a musical
middle school teachers, and middle school student reaches a middle school vocal or structure, even it if it first graders
teachers tell elementary teachers, “You instrumental program, he or she should improvising on a pentatonic scale, can lead
need to do a better job getting kids up to par have a wealth of “singing knowledge” from to music reading. If students can improvise
on their music reading skills.” All at once, it which to draw information necessary for with their voices or on instruments,
seems that the responsibility for teaching singing or playing patterns in music. He or melodies that “sound good” with the I, IV,
kids to read music has rolled down the hill she has a better chance at learning to and V chords, then they have a better
to sit at the feet of a music teacher teaching anticipate because of the aural background chance at quickly understanding what
kindergarten students. received over many years of singing and similar melodies look like on a staff. In
Where do you begin? One person might has less steps in the process of learning to addition, these skills become part of the
say, “Start with solfège. Kids must know read musical notation. child’s background in music and contribute
solfège!” Another might disagree and say, to his or her ability to anticipate what
“No, they have to know the numbers for Standard 2: should come next.
each note in the scale.” A third might argue, Performing on Instruments, Alone and
“You must begin with the staff. Kids must With Others Standard 4:
know all of the letter names on the grand Similar to number one, students may have a Composing and Arranging Music Within
staff.” Got all of that? Okay, get to work. difficult time entering a secondary-level Specified Guidelines
Seriously, any or all of these suggestions music program and learning to read if they One must remember that “composing
would be fine, except that these do not say have not played instruments. This does not music” does not necessarily mean a child is
where to begin, only what the end result mean that all of the elementary teachers notating music (writing it out or putting it
should be. So, in the words of Michael must now also teach beginning band. No, into notation software). When a child is
Feinstein, “Where Do You Start?” (1987). this means teachers should have all children putting his or her own musical ideas in an
Where else but the MENC National play many different melodies with different order that makes sense, he or she is
Standards? harmonic structures using both pitched and composing. It stands to reason if musical
There are nine MENC National Standards unpitched instruments. As with the first ideas a present, they may also be part of the
(1994) and each focuses on an important standard, hearing and interpreting melodies necessary aural background a student must
way of knowing in music. Using these to and harmonies is a foundation. If a sound have to begin reading music. When students
guide lesson planning and teaching can help or sequence of sounds is unfamiliar, then think about how music is constructed, and
new (and not-so-new) teachers focus on students will have difficulty reproducing it then construct their own music, they gain
teaching music comprehensively, rather on an instrument (or voice). Since part of personal understanding of necessary
than focusing on singular elements. When successful music performance is musical concepts, like melodic and
students achieve in each of the nine, they anticipating, having the aural training is harmonic structure and form. All of these
gain a background of musical information necessary to anticipate subsequent pitches, contribute to the music reading process.
that is necessary for learning to read music. for example in a scalar or arpeggiated
Let us look at the nine standards and think passage. Without the wealth of knowledge
about music reading. playing many different melodies and
42 February 2009
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