New York Times Blog:
When children learn to play a musical instrument, they strengthen a range of auditory skills. Recent studies suggest that these benefits extend all through life, at least for those who continue to be engaged with music.
Read on… Brain Waves Stay Tuned to Early Lessons – NYTimes.com.
Now that Halloween has passed, thoughts move on to the holidays of fall and winter: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s. And of course, it’s a natural progression that gift-giving (and buying) become high-priority items on many to-do lists.
As an elementary music educator, if you want to encourage the young ones in your life outside of the elementary music classroom to value not only music, but reading as well, there’s no better combination than a beautifully illustrated picture book with an accompanying CD that can be read and listened to over and over again. Studies show that arts education directly correlates with improvements in children’s reading abilities.
It’s best to begin early, and while your elementary music classroom is a great place to encourage music and reading, it’s always nice to think beyond the school setting and the elementary music classroom itself. Get parents involved. Even if a child can’t read, the parent reading to them is a huge stepping stone to developing that child into a lifelong reader.
Lifelong readers become lifelong learners. According to the Children’s Reading Foundation “Without the ability to read, excellence in…school and beyond is unattainable.” That’s a pretty powerful statement, right? We think so, too, and if there’s ever a way to bring music, reading, and lifelong learning into the same equation, we’re all for it. Consider a music [education] picture book/CD for all those little learners on your Holiday gift list!
For more great book/CD ideas, browse the latest edition of our Pender’s Music Co. Elementary Music catalog curriculum section.
Columbus Day has been celebrated all over the world in one form or another, since the colonial period, when European nation states established colonies on other continents. It was during the 400th anniversary of the United States observing and celebrating Columbus Day (1892) that teachers, preachers, poets and politicians really began using Columbus Day as an overall catalyst in teaching the ideals of patriotism to the masses.
War effort support and national loyalty to one’s country were popular themes that were used to encompass the celebration. Perhaps you made it a point to do something special and patriotic in your classroom last week, leading up to this day (since many schools were closed today); or maybe you’ll consider doing something in the coming days.
It’s always nice to remember where we came from, to reflect upon the sweet journeys of our lives, and to be thankful and proud of what we have, and what we’ve accomplished, either as individuals or collectively – as a classroom, a school, a state, a nation, a people.
Dr. Vicky V. Johnson, Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator at Tarleton State University (Stephenville, TX), has compiled a comprehensive website of music resources, including some valuable elementary music links. Here is one of them, which is sourced from the TMEA website, on tips for new teachers:
As part of our commitment to excellence in music education for all students, TMEA supports its members through a myriad of professional development opportunities. TMEA sponsors Region workshops with grant funding, hosts the annual clinic/convention that offers hundreds of hours of professional development opportunities, partners in a mentoring network for teachers, provides pedagogical resources through its monthly magazine, and offers additional resources through this website.
The backbone of fine arts instruction in Texas, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills TEKS, help educators structure instruction around what students should know and be able to do by the end of each grade level in art, dance, music, and theatre. The Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts CEDFA supports fine arts teachers in implementing the Fine Arts TEKS. This network began as a cadre of educators and administrators trained by CEDFA to provide professional development workshops specifically targeted on TEKS implementation. CEDFA offers resources through its website and hosts statewide fine arts summits that focus on teaching strategies aligned with the TEKS. The CEDFA Summits serve as the only venue for educators from all four fine arts disciplines to meet and discuss relevant issues such as assessment and integration of the arts with other academic disciplines.
Heritage Music Press continues to celebrate the value of music education and quality music for ensembles everywhere, and they’re inviting students to become part of the compositional process.
Through June 30, 2011, Heritage Music Press will accept submissions from students enrolled in any choral ensemble to be considered as a text for a future choral publication. The winning submission will be used by one of their composers to create a new composition for their Fall 2012 release. The student who submits this text will receive a $100 prize, and his or her choral ensemble may be given the opportunity to premiere the piece. Good Luck!!!
Did you know that March is Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM)? That’s right, in just a few days there will be a prime chance to highlight the music program in your own school, or perhaps the school(s) of your past, or maybe the school(s) of someone you know and/or are related to.
MIOSM is when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation, and the celebration has grown since its inception in 1973. MIOSM began as a single statewide event. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children – and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music. MIOSM is a perfect venue for music teachers to bring their music programs to the attention of the school and the community and to display the benefits school music brings to students of all ages. The theme for 2011 is Music Lasts a Lifetime.
It’s also a prime time to heighten the awareness of all school music programs, since it’s budget time for many school boards. In this era where all cuts are discussed in earnest, there’s no better opportunity than now to chime in and make your case for the preservation of your program.
Things that can help:
Music in Our Schools Month Website: The destination for resources and guidance in celebrating the month in your school, including logos, activity ideas, contests, advocacy and more.
SupportMusic.com: SupportMusic.com is a public service initiative that impacts resolve and support for music education in local communities around the United States and abroad. Tens of thousands of concerned citizens visit the website every month and use its resources to keep music education strong in their schools and communities.
The Make Your Case database, powered by SupportMusic.com, and presented through MENC: This destination will help you build a case for your music program, particularly if it’s threatened. Music education advocates can use the facts, statistics, research, and anecdotes on specific topics for presentations, speeches, and other communications with school board members, administrators, and legislators.
Music indeed lasts a lifetime…..celebrate Music in Our Schools Month!
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Elementary Music Mondays, the series, posts to www.pendersbuzz.com a couple of times a month, with information from our staff, our publisher partners, guest bloggers and more. Come back to this site, or access it from our main Home Page, to find out the latest buzz!
