​Active Engagement in Music K-4

Active Engagement is an important part of teaching and learning at our College. In K-6 Music, our specialist teachers – Mrs Katherine Denholm, Mr Martin Smith, and Ms Kylie DeCalmer – are constantly working to ensure high levels of teacher and student engagement across all Music classes.

To ensure that lessons are consistently engaging, students in Years K-6 experience a wide range of learning activities which aim to sequentially develop their knowledge and understanding of the musical elements. They create, perform and listen to music in a variety of ways.

In Kinder and Prep, activities are predominantly hands-on, requiring students to participate in keeping the beat, playing rhythms, singing melodies and moving to music. The structure of lessons means that activities are relatively short but intensely focused on developing a specific skill or knowledge. This lesson layout ensures that students are consistently engaged with the learning activities.

In Years 1, 2, and 3, students continue to develop their understanding of Music by playing instruments such as xylophones, glockenspiels and boomwhackers, as well as continuing with untuned percussion (drums, shakers, wood blocks and the like). Listening and singing activities ensure that students develop a strong understanding of and ability to demonstrate pitch, melody and rhythmic elements when performing, while also providing strong foundations for reading music.

In Year 4, students learn the recorder in each of their weekly Music lessons. This is an important stepping stone instrument prior to the College’s Band Program in Years 5 and 6. Year 4 students increase their ability to read musical notation and the varied repertoire that they progress through activates all parts of their brain. The carefully planned, sequential program teaches a range of musical concepts, while also developing finemotor muscle skills. Students work individually and in groups, developing ensemble skills such as listening and responding.

Ms Kylie DeCalmer - Creative Arts Teacher