This year our district wide Elementary General Music PLC (Professional Learning Community) has decided to follow second grade students in rhythm. I just completed one of the pretests yesterday. I was happy to see that many of my students from last year remembered quarter notes/rests and two eight-notes beamed together. We are adding two new things this year: half notes and half rests. About 50% of the new students nailed the rhythms (except for the half-notes and rests) and the rest seemed uncomfortable, but familiar with the symbols.
My immediate concern is the the lack of consistent tempo. I started each students with the words, "one, two, ready go" in hopes of helping them establish a beat before they started performing the rhythm. About 90% of the students demonstrated an understanding of the note values, but did not acknowledge the beat provided to them, therefore not performing the rhythm accurately.
My goal for the next test (the second of three) is to instill the importance of establishing a beat tempo internally before beginning. This week students will begin counting the rhythm in their heads before they begin to perform. In addition, I will designate a student to be the "beat keeper," (an honored position in our classroom) to help students hear and feel the beat tempo as we practice.
My immediate concern is the the lack of consistent tempo. I started each students with the words, "one, two, ready go" in hopes of helping them establish a beat before they started performing the rhythm. About 90% of the students demonstrated an understanding of the note values, but did not acknowledge the beat provided to them, therefore not performing the rhythm accurately.
My goal for the next test (the second of three) is to instill the importance of establishing a beat tempo internally before beginning. This week students will begin counting the rhythm in their heads before they begin to perform. In addition, I will designate a student to be the "beat keeper," (an honored position in our classroom) to help students hear and feel the beat tempo as we practice.
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