Tools:
| Kindergarden | 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | View All Grades |
Kindergarten
In Skills and Techniques, your student:- sings a variety of songs (e.g., folk, nursery rhymes, singing games).
- sings and plays instruments.
- reads simple patterns using picture symbols.
- recognizes high and low, loud and soft sounds.
In Creation and Communication, your student:
- creates a new ending to a familiar tune.
- creates simple patterns on classroom instruments to accompany a song.
In Cultural and Historical Connections, your student:
- listens to music from various styles and cultures (e.g., African, Hispanic, Native American).
- listens to vocal and instrumental sounds from various cultures.
In Critical Thinking, your student:
- expresses characteristics of music (e.g., tiptoeing as soft, running as fast).
- listens to and identifies familiar instruments and voice types.
- understands how music can communicate feelings, moods, or images.
- compares two versions of the same song and decides how they are the same or different.
In Applications to Life, your student:
- makes connections among music, the visual and other performing arts.
- makes connections between music and other subjects (e.g., math, science).
- demonstrates appropriate audience behavior.
- expresses own music preferences based on life experiences.
1st Grade
In Skills and Techniques, your student:- sings in tune.
- sings a variety of songs (e.g., folk, patriotic, singing games, songs from foreign countries).
- sings and plays instruments expressively (e.g., shows awareness of loud and soft, fast and slow).
- reads and writes simple patterns using notation.
- Demonstrates awareness of high and low, loud and soft sounds.
In Creation and Communication, your student:
- creates a short musical "answer" after hearing a musical "question."
- creates simple patterns on classroom instruments to accompany a song.
In Cultural and Historical Connections, your student:
- listens to music from various styles and cultures.
- explores vocal and instrumental sounds from various cultures.
In Critical Thinking, your student:
- uses movement and music vocabulary to express characteristics of music.
- demonstrates awareness of same/different patterns in music.
- listens to and identifies familiar instruments and voice types.
- states how music can communicate.
- states how to evaluate music and music performance (e.g., compares two versions of the same song).
In Applications to Life, your student:
- explores connections between music, visual and performing arts, culture and history.
- expresses how an audience behaves in various musical settings.
- expresses his or her own music preferences based on life experiences.
2nd Grade
In Skills and Techniques, your student:- sings in tune.
- sings a variety of songs, including some from memory.
- sings with awareness of appropriate breath control.
- sings and plays instruments expressively.
- plays patterns on classroom instruments keeping a steady beat.
- reads/writes simple melodic patterns using scale tones (e.g., do, re, mi, so).
In Creation and Communication, your student:
- creates a new ending to a familiar tune.
- creates rhythmic and melodic accompaniments on classroom instruments.
In Cultural and Historical Connections, your student:
- listens to and identifies music from various styles and cultures.
- identifies characteristics in various types of music around the world.
- understands the general cultural/historical settings of various types of music.
In Critical Thinking, your student:
- uses movement and music vocabulary to express characteristics of music (e.g., walking: moderate speed; p indicates soft music).
- listens to and identifies familiar instruments and voice types.
- understands how music can communicate feelings, moods, and images.
- evaluates music and music performance.
In Applications to Life, your student:
- understands connections among music, visual and performing arts, culture and history.
- demonstrates appropriate audience behavior in various musical settings.
- expresses own music preferences based on life experiences.
3rd Grade
In Skills and Techniques, your student:- sings in tune.
- sings a variety of songs, and sings some from memory.
- maintains own part while singing rounds and partner songs.
- sings and plays instruments expressively (e.g. sings with a pleasing tone).
- performs in a group, following the cues of a conductor.
- reads and writes simple rhythmic and melodic patterns using notation.
In Creation and Communication, your student:
- creates new endings in the same style to given rhythmic and melodic phrases.
- creates new rhythmic and melodic patterns to vary a familiar song.
- composes short songs and instrumental pieces.
- studies composers and musicians who have influenced American music.
In Cultural and Historical Connections, your student:
- listens to and identifies music of various cultures, composers, and historical eras.
- describes how basic elements of music appear in music around the world.
- understands the general cultural and historical settings of various types of music.
- studies composers and musicians who have influenced American music.
In Critical Thinking, your student:
- describes how simple songs are put together.
- listens to and identifies familiar instruments and performance groups.
- uses vocabulary to express attributes of music (e.g., AB - same/different).
- evaluates music and music performance.
In Applications to Life, your student:
- understands connections between music, visual and performing arts, culture and history.
- understands similarities and differences in vocabulary between music/other arts (e.g., "color" in visual arts and "color" in music).
- demonstrates appropriate audience behavior in various settings.
- expresses own music preferences based on life experiences.
4th Grade
In Skills and Techniques, your student:- sings songs having more than one part accurately and expressively.
- plays instruments accurately and expressively (e.g., correlates breathing with musical phrases, matches style of music).
- plays instruments accurately (e.g., holds mallets correctly; matches music styles).
- performs in a group, following the cues of a conductor.
- reads and writes simple rhythmic and melodic patterns using notation.
- interprets musical symbols and terms (e.g., "cresc." indicates to get louder).
In Creation and Communication, your student:
- creates new endings in the same style to given rhythmic and melodic phrases.
- creates new rhythmic and melodic patterns to vary a familiar song.
- creates repeating rhythmic & melodic patterns to accompany a familiar song.
- composes short songs and instrumental pieces.
- composes music that expresses words, ideas, and feelings.
In Cultural and Historical Connections, your student:
- listens to and identifies music from various cultures, composers, and historical eras.
- describes how basic elements of music appear in music around the world.
- understands the general cultural/historical settings of various types of music.
- identifies composers and musicians who have influenced American music.
In Critical Thinking, your student:
- describes how simple songs are put together.
- identifies & categorizes familiar instruments and performance groups.
- understands how music communicates words, ideas, and feelings.
- uses appropriate music vocabulary to express characteristics of diverse music.
In Applications to Life, your student:
- understands connections among music, visual/performing arts, culture/history.
- understands similarities/differences in vocabulary between music/other arts.
- understands many ways the media use music (e.g., sound effects in movies).
- demonstrates appropriate audience behavior in various musical settings.
- expresses own music preferences based on life experiences.
5th Grade
In Skills and Techniques, your student:- sings accurately and expressively songs with more than one part.
- sings a variety of songs from various cultures, styles, and composers.
- sings and plays instruments accurately and expressively.
- performs in a group, following the cues of a conductor.
- reads and writes simple rhythmic and melodic patterns using notation.
- Interprets written musical symbols and terms (e.g., "accel." = getting faster).
In Creation and Communication, your student:
- creates new endings in the same style for given rhythmic and melodic phrases.
- creates new rhythmic and melodic patterns to vary a familiar song.
- creates repeating rhythmic and melodic patterns to accompany a familiar song.
- composes short songs and instrumental pieces according to specific guidelines.
- composes music that expresses words, ideas, and feelings.
In Cultural and Historical Connections, your student:
- listens and identifies music from various cultures, composers, and historical eras.
- describes how basic elements of music appear in music around the world.
- understands the general cultural and historical settings of various types of music.
- identifies composers and musicians who have influenced American music.
In Critical Thinking, your student:
- describes the structure of simple songs (e.g., identifies & describes changes).
- identifies & categorizes orchestral and common ethnic and folk instruments.
- identifies performance groups (e.g., string quartet, barbershop quartet).
- understands how music communicates words, ideas, and feelings.
In Applications to Life, your student:
- understands connections among music, visual/performing arts, culture/history.
- understands similarities&differences in vocabulary between music/other arts.
- understands ways the media use music (e.g., advertising "jingles).
- demonstrates appropriate audience behavior in various musical settings.
- expresses own music preferences based on life experiences, and demonstrates respect for differing musical tastes and values.
Helpful Hints to Use At Home
- Sings nursery rhymes, game songs (Farmer in the Dell), folk songs.
- Listen to and discuss sounds found in nature.
- Move to a piece of music (e.g., walk, run, jump, gallop).
- Attend children's concerts and musical theater productions.
- Listen to a variety of children's performances (e.g., choirs, school concerts).
Last Updated: 12/19/2007
