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Children learn music in school so that
they can use it to express themselves by singing or playing
instruments; and so that they can develop an appreciation of music
composed and performed by others.
Performing and Composing
Children are given the opportunity to make music by singing and
playing instruments (at first unpitched - such as tambourines and
drums; later, they will use pitched instruments such as recorders).
They will explore rhythm, tempo and duration; the qualities of sound
such as timbre, dynamics (loud, quiet, silence) and pitch; and the
structure of pieces of music (for instance, how to give a piece a
beginning, middle and end). They will explore ways of combining
these to make different effects singly and in large and small
groups. Later, they will learn the skills of musical notation,
moving toward being able to read music, and will learn more about
melody and accompaniment. They will learn to discuss their work
using appropriate vocabulary, improve upon it, rehearse it and
perform for an audience (such as parents at the end of term play,
perhaps!)
Listening
Children listen to music from all over the world, and of all types -
classical, folk and popular. They explore the way it makes them feel
- perhaps by dancing or painting as well as by writing, talking and
making more music - and later, how well the composer achieved the
effects she wanted. They learn to recognise different musical
instruments, and to discuss why they were used, and explore how
different kinds of music reflect different places, cultures and
times.
Encouraging your children with music
Click here to see an interview with Australian music teacher
Adrianne Fitzpatrick, with some useful advice to parents on how to
develop their children's musical talents.
Helping your child at home
There are plenty of things that you can do to help your child at
home. Even children as young as four can expect homework, see
Parents On-Line for more information on helping your child at home.
http://www.parents.org.uk
Parents On-Line have developed a range of downloadable modules that
contain all the resources to help at home. These include games,
activities and printable worksheets.
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