elementary general music
Music for Everyone! Kathy Bartling, WMEA State Chair, Elementary General Music
Elementary general music classes are often made up of all of the students in that homeroom or grade level. We see everyone! General music classes are true melting pots of music education
and are a diverse mix of cultures, abilities and disabilities. One class can contain a student in a wheelchair, a student who has a behavioral disability, students who have learning disabilities, a student whose first language is not English, students from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds, as well as advanced students who have taken private lessons. So, how do we connect with each student on their level and give them a musical experience that serves their needs and a positive, joyful experience of making music together as a class?
Know Your Students
• Check with classroom teachers and do the research on which students receive special services or are in need of adaptations.
• Read the student’s individualized education program (IEP) if they have one and consult with the special education teacher. They can explain the students abilities and challenges and help you with adap- tations.
• As you work through the year, be sure to allow time for students to share things about themselves and their experiences.
• Focus on what a child CAN do and not always on their disability. We know that the music touches all people regardless of their partici- pation level. A child who has no speech can still be moved by the singing around them.
Set Classroom Expectations
• Emphasize that all levels of musi- cal skill and achievement are ac- cepted in this music class and that all children are valued members of the class.
• Model openness to new ideas and questions that your students bring to class.
• Foster a “growth mindset” by tell- ing students that making music and learning is not about natural ability (or lack of it) but rather a journey of constantly striving to improve and communicate through music.
• Create an environment in which it is okay to make mistakes and where faltering can lead to deeper learning.
• Teach empathy for each other and tolerance of differences.
Plan for Inclusion
• Set up your classroom so that stu- dents feel included. Be sure that your kids requiring wheel chairs can get around, your behavioral kids have a place that they feel safe and comfortable, your kids with vision or hearing challenges are in the appropriate seat.
• Think through each lesson and how to present it with adaptations. If you teach the same lesson to more than one homeroom, you may find yourself giving the directions a bit differently or pacing differently as you reach out to include different kids with varying needs.
Adapt Your Methods and Materials
• Individualize some assignments for special learners who need a word bank, a shortened assignment, larger directions, a smaller task or additional writing assistance.
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• Create different levels so that students can make music at their own level. At your keyboard sta- tion have music for five-finger beginners and music for kids who have played piano for years. In a classroom or small group instru- ment ensemble have some people working on just playing the beat, some on a medium level melody or rhythm, and a challenging part for your advanced students.
• Have adaptive instruments for those students who are cognitively or physically challenged.
• Use songs, dances and games from many cultures to broaden the ex- perience of all students and at the same time include students who are from those cultures.
• Use technology to assist and chal- lenge students. Computers, key- boards, Smartboards, and recording devices can help students who are challenged and open opportunities for all to be creative.
• Utilize a variety of visual, auditory and kinesthetic strategies in teach- ing concepts. Reaching each stu- dent through their mode of learning is essential.
• Provide for a variety of ways for students to demonstrate their knowledge or skill. If they are working on quarter-note patterns have the students use movement, singing, composing or playing them to demonstrate their skills.
Collaborate
• Talk to your special education teachers. They have been trained in disabilities and can educate you about a specific disability. Physical therapists are great about figuring out what Velcro or Styrofoam can be added to a mallet for a student to be able to hold it. Behavioral
January 2018
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