Starting from Scratch with 2nd and 3rd Grade Music
This is my first year in this school who had music right before Covid so the littles k-2 have never had music. In your scope and sequence, you have 1st and 2nd with review, then learning some new concepts. What would you suggest for those littles who have never had music? Similar to Kinder, but a little more complex?
Today we’re thinking through what it can look like to start at the beginning of the music sequence with our 2nd and 3rd grade musicians.
It can sometimes feel like these students are overlooked with teaching materials intended for both Kindergarten / 1st grade, and older beginners.
Let’s take a look at a possible roadmap for the first several months of the 2nd and 3rd grade school year when these musicians are starting “from scratch” at the beginning of the sequence.
In this Episode:
00:00 - Intro, framing the conversation
03:40 - Elemental Questions
04:19 - Skip to the end - a quick roadmap
08:31 - What’s the point of a sequence?
14:27 - What makes something a 2nd or 3rd grade song?
20:30 - What are 2nd and 3rd grade students like?
28:26 - A possible roadmap for 2nd and 3rd grade beginners
Elemental Questions:
What is the point of a sequence?
What makes something a 2nd or 3rd grade song?
What are 2nd and 3rd graders like?
What is the point of a sequence?
Knowledge builds over time, and we connect new information to previous information.
If we want students to interact with new information from a place of knowledge and experience, we need to build that knowledge and experience intentionally from the beginning.
We’re never “behind schedule” when we pace our sequence with what students need.
What makes something a 2nd or 3rd Grade Song?
We can use extractable phrases
2nd and 3rd grade songs are appropriate for 2nd and 3rd grade musicians, and they align with our curricular objective
What are 2nd and 3rd Graders Like?
Socially: These students love to socialize and work in small groups
Physically: 2nd and 3rd graders are very active! They don’t yet have the physical coordination of their upper elementary peers, but they have more motor control than our Kinder and 1st grade musicians
Cognitively: Attention spans are lengthening, but are still quite short. These students love using logic to solve problems.
A Possible Roadmap for 2nd and 3rd Grade
Beginning of the Year:
Sing songs and play games
Conduct pre-assessments
Mi Re Do:
Doña Araña
Frog in the Meadow
Big Fat Biscuit
Steady Beat, Rhythm vs Beat, Ta, Ta-di, & Ta Rest:
Pajarito Tan Bonito
Plainsies Clapsies
Cut the Cake
So today we’ve looked at several ways to jump start a 2nd and 3rd grade music program. There are of course more songs and games and activities we could do, but I think this can get us started. And then the approach I chose was based on how I’m thinking about a few things …. What’s the point of our sequence? What makes something a 2nd or 3rd grade song? And what are 2nd and 3rd graders like?
This is such a fun age group and I think an approach that’s something like what we talked about today - it doesn’t have to be exact - can really help these students shine and get started on a musical and intentional foot.
