Does your child have a favorite song, bedtime story, or moviehe requests over and over? As adults, we are constantly seeking new stimulation, while children often crave just the opposite.
Repeating activities helpsneural pathways develop tocreate long-term memories. Repetition gives kids a sense of power, accomplishment, and belonging, so it's no surprise they crave repetition.
It's true in music class, too. When we play a new game in music class, there is often some trepidation as everybodywondershow it's going to work. The next time we play, students are more at ease. They know with confidence, "I belong here, I know what happens next, I know what we do in this game, and I am a success in this class."
Layered Repetition Large doses of learning are squeezed into Let's Play Music classes by layering content. Yes, we may sing the same song for seven classes in a row, but each time, as the students become more proficient, we add new elements.
Students get the repetition they need for mastery and confidence, and teachers have a sneaky way to introduce new material in each and every class.
Below are some possibilities that your teacher may focus on over the weeks, all within one song. Want to help us get the most from class time? Listen to the music at home so your child is already familiar with the song and lyrics before class...your teacher doesn't want to spend much time on that.
Notice the lyrics, what do they mean?
Listen carefully to the melody, can you recognize the common melodic patterns? Can you play the melody on bells/ keyboard? Can we transcribe the melody?
Shall we sing the entire song using just solfege and handsigns instead of lyrics? Can we transpose to another key/ multiple keys?
Focus on the ostinato. Play it on bells/ keyboard while you sing.
Can you hear the harmony? What chords do you hear? Identify the chord progression.
Audiate parts of the song.
Listen to the rhythms, can you identify the bugs?
How does this song make you feel, how do you want to move/dance? What words describe the type of sound or style of playing?
Notice the format of the song- do sections or phrases repeat? How are thesections different?
etc.
The Rule of Seven
In Marketing, there exists a well-known idea that a prospect must see or hear about a product at least seven times before they'll take action and buy it. The point is, the ability to generally recognize something is strengthened with multiple encounters.
This is why, in music class, we will also present several songs or games for each concept covered (common melodic pattern, common rhythmic pattern, minor tonality songs, common chord progressions, legato vs. staccato, etc.) Experiencing each concept in multiple, slightly different musical examples gives students a chance to better recognize and isolate the element.
Spaced Repetition & Memory When we learn a new bit of information on Day 0, we all start to forget the information right away. It's a bummer, but that's just how the brain works. Our brains need cues to get the message, "hey, this stuff is worth remembering."
The forgetting curve looks like an exponential decay curve.
Each time we review what we know (and start to forget again right away), the decay curve is a little bit flatter. Each time we can allow longer periods between review, and we can remember just a little bit longer before we start to forget.
The trick for optimizing learning is to plan repetition of activities and information so that the reviews coincide with the intervals of time when students are starting to forget their facts. With organized intervals of repetition, we can study smarter, not longer.
That's why we sing a new Let's Play Music song or game in every class, several times, when it is first presented. Then it comes back (less frequently) for us to review and sing.
Remember Every Song If you want to study smart, try creating your own spaced repetition learning: review pieces of information that you are retaining well less often than pieces that you are not remembering well.
Here's quick piano example: Choose the piano songs you want to review. How about every song I have memorized. Attempt to play through the songs. Based on how accurately you can remember the song, decide if you will review it again tomorrow, next week, next month, in 4 months, or next year.
As part of your routine, each time you play piano, include some work on a new piece you are trying to memorize and include a play-through, from your schedule of a piece that you already know.If your list is short and you're having fun, you might play more songs than are on your list (playing memorized songs is really fun.)
The importance of the list is to remind you of your songs- if you wait too long, you'll forget what you worked hard to memorize in the first place.
Remember, the goal is to practice again just as you are about to forget, and that happens at increasing intervals each time. By making it part of your routine to play through one memorized song (it's fun-you won't mind), you'll retain every song you've ever memorized, forever!
What makes Sound Beginnings special? One feature is our introduction of a handful of specific academic concepts each semester. Here in the Gold Stars semester, one topic you'll see taught is patterning. Why Teach Patterns? A child who understands and looks for patterns has a door opened to understanding myriad concepts in life. Patterns help us predict and connect what is happening in our world, so a child that masters patterns is quick to apply the patterning skills to lots of topics. Patterns surround us! We have: Literary Patterns: The gingerbread man meets a cow and runs away, then meets a horse and runs away, then meets a dog and...? Your child can guess that he runs away! Children delight in the repetition with variation that arises in repetitive stories. Patterns are a strong narrative and literary tool.
Learning to look for patterns in stories and narratives is also how we draw connections between what we see in life and literature. The stories we read to our children can help them understand their lives if they are able to draw the connection.Stories follow sequences that likely show up in our children's lives. At Home: While reading stories, pause to ask your child if he can guess what will happen next. When things happen in real life, connect it to how storybook characters solved problems. "Do you remember in the book we read, when Lilly couldn't take her plastic purse to school? Is that how you feel because you can't bring your bear to preschool today?"
Children learn that storybook experiences and family narratives might follow patterns that show up in their own lives. This recognition helps children learn empathy and problem-solving. "Mommy is tired because she went on a long run. I get tired when I play a lot, too. I know how she feels."
By the way, here is a fun singing version of The Gingerbread Man for you and your youngster to enjoy. In this version the gingerbread man gets away safely. I always love turning a book into a singable story.
Word Patterns: As children begin to read, looking for patterns withinword familieshelp them quickly draw conclusions about how letters work. Teach your child to read AT, and he'll quickly be ready for CAT, SAT, BAT, HAT and MAT. Rhyming is definitely a fun and delightful version of patterning that you can play with at home. At Home: Pick an easy-to-rhyme word, and see how many rhymes you and your child can think up for it. I love playing this game in the car with youngsters- we're always looking for a new car game.
Calendar Patterns: We wake up each morning, eat lunch, go on adventures, and come home for bedtime. Children learn and find comfort in the daily repetitive patterns; they are empowered by their ability to conclude what comes next in the pattern. At Home: Talk to your child about what you do each day, and allow him to notice the daily, weekly, and monthly patterns. "We woke up and had breakfast, and then we went to the library, so what comes next? That's right, lunchtime." Create a chart of daily activities or weekly activities to help him recognize the patterns that emerge. "It's Tuesday! That means it's music day." Here are some free printables to help you make a daily agenda for your tot.
Math Patterns: I have heard one kindergarten teacher say that a child who thinks in terms of patterns is thinking mathematically! Math is dictated by patterns; an obvious first being just counting to 100! We add up to 9 in the units place, then we add one in the tens place, then we add up to 9 in the units place again, repeat, repeat. Students who "get" patterns and find them naturally are quick to notice the patterns in multiplication tables and understand how numbers work together. At Home: Use your counting charts from SB class, or even print out an entire 100 chart for your child to count along with. Talk about the patterns you notice. I always had such fun with this that I even taught my preschoolers to skip count by 5sfrom looking at a chart and learning the pattern.
Speech Patterns: Did you know that simply repeating a spoken sentence a number of times shifts the listeners attention to the pitch and temporal aspects of the sound, so the repeated spoken language actually begins to sound like it is begin sung?
Our young children are subconsciously learning the speech patterns of their native language, and the more exposure, the better! Repeating your phrases a few times can give children more chances to recognize and hone in on what they are hearing. At Home: Try repeating phrases 3-4 times for your child. Do you notice a sing-song quality start to emerge? Chances are, your toddler will be more likely to echo you and repeat the phrase after having a few chances to pick up on the patterns.
"Put your shoes on, then your coat." "Put your shoes on, then your coat." "Put your shoes on, then your coat."
Musical Patterns: This TED talk explains why patterns are sonatural in music: "Musical repetition is deeply compelling. Repetition connects each bit of music irresistably to the next bit. When you hear a few notes, you are already imagining what's coming next. Your mind is unconsciously singing along. Without noticing, you might start humming out loud."
"Repetition invites us into music as active participants." When we study classical music in SB class, the children listen to each phrase and anticipatewhat comes next. They dance along by engaging in the music and recognizing the patterns.
Years later, when your child is in the Orange Roots semester of Let's Play Music, she'll compose her own brand-new song! By then she will have examined the form of 12- 18 classical songs. She'll notice the repetition and patterns that themes create as part of the format, and she'll incorporate the structures into her own writing. It's three years away, but we get her started now in Sound Beginnings noticing patterns in music!
At Home: Sing some songs from SB to your child, but pause dramatically- does she know what comes next? Can she fill in the nextphrase? This fun musical game helps her audiate the song (hear it in her mind) and decide what comes next!
Patterns Cards In your Gold Stars workbook you will get a set of 21 cards with stars, moons, and suns. If your cards accidentally get chewed up (it happens!) your teacher can help you print another set. Help your child get out the cards and arrange them into increasingly difficult patterns.
What Comes Next?The simplest game uses only two cards in a repeating pattern. Lay out some cards and ask, "What comes next!?" Your preschooler will be delighted to finish the pattern.
If you lay out 4-5 cards and he just stares at you, READ the cards to him. "Star, Moon, Star, Moon, Star....?" HEARING the sing-song quality that develops in your voice from repeating the pattern 2-3 times helps him get it in his ear, so he can continue to sing it on his own. Be sure to mix it up and use different cards sometimes.
Level Two: You can add a third card to the pattern and ask, "what comes next?". "Star, Moon, Sun, Star, Moon, Sun, Star...?" If your child is getting good at this, don't read it out loud to her. She probably will say it out loud to herself to get the sound of the pattern into her ear. The tough trick is figuring out where the cycle ends. Is this a star-moon-sun-star pattern, or a star-moon-sun pattern? When you sing the pattern, you'll probably naturally pause after sun and help her know where the pattern ends.
Level Three: So far each character shows up once per cycle. Try adding two or more per cycle. This is a new idea that might seem tricky or easy for your tot.
Around Town Now that your child is having fun with patterns, be sure to notice patterns around town. Every traffic light has a pattern of three colors-do you know it?Double check next time you drive to music class!
When you go to music class, you might notice a pattern: "that child has a mom, and that child has a mom..."
At dinnertime, you can make a pattern with dishes: plate, fork, plate, fork.... In the playroom you can make patterns with toys: bear, doll, car, bear, doll, car.
My all-time favorite toy to play patterns with has always been Lego Duplo blocks. I put a few together and the kids continue the pattern. You can get more ideas online for using Duplos for patterns math. These pattern cards show a picture of a lego pattern, and your child tries to create a matching real-life structure.
I hope you have some ideas for finding patterns in real life and helping your child start to notice them everywhere. She'll benefit in lots of ways from the experience!
