Digital Music Learning

Music Websites for Kids from Ms. Kelly Moore, Fairforest Elementary Music Teacher

These are free websites that connect kids with educational music games, note reading, rhythm reading, learning about instruments, getting to know composers, and creating music.

 

https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/

 

https://www.classicsforkids.com/

https://pbskids.org/games/music/

 

 

 

 

https://www.nyphilkids.org/

  

 

 

https://www.mydso.com/dso-kids/

 

 

 

Mrs. Sutton’s (West View's Music Teacher's) Fun Ways to Enjoy Music at Home

 

https://www.techlearning.com/news/google-tools-and-activities-for-music-education

 

https://www.musictheory.net/

https://www.noteflight.com/learn

https://web.seesaw.me/

https://www.tunelark.com/home

https://www.soundtrap.com/                           

https://www.incredibox.com/

www.beepbox.co

https://www.groovepizza.com/

https://musicplayonline.com/

 

APPS

Sound forest

Garage band

Voice record pro

Tap Tap Beats Music Game

Kidloland Kids ABC Games Songs

123 Kids Fun MUSIC Free Top Music Games for Kids

 

Provided by Alison Meyer, Facebook Music Educators Creating Online Learning, shared by Fairforest Elementary Music Teacher Kelly Moore

 

Connecting English/Language Arts to Music: Read Aloud Activity with the book Because  by Mo Willems, shared by Kelly Moore, Music Teacher, Fairforest Elementary

 

After listening to the story and learning about how Mr. Willems came to create the story, make a list of at least 5 events or people that helped the girl in the story to find her love of music. Write about how music changed the girl.

 

Interview a family member (or write about your own skill/talent) and ask them, "What is one thing you are good at?", "How did you discover your talent/skill?", "How did you get better at your skill?"

 

The story behind the story of Because  by Mo Willems

https://youtu.be/lh7S5r78tS0

 

Read aloud of "Because"

https://youtu.be/rxcYsIdbSkA

 

There is nothing more fun than curling up with a good book and reading with your child!  One idea is to take children's books you have at home and combine instruments or sound sources along with the story.  For example, you could read a book such as The Little Engine That Could.   After reading it with your child and talking about the book's meaning, never giving up, you could tell your child to read it again and use sound effects.  Two flip flops being rubbed together could be the sound of the train.  You could use pots and pans to represent the sounds of the big engines in the train yard.  With upper elementary students, who may play an instrument in 5th grade band or strings, (or might be thinking of playing one in 3rd or 4th grade), you could read books about instruments, such as Zin Zin Zin a Violin or The Remarkable Farkle McBride.  For example, as Farkle learns about the different instruments in the orchestra, you could have your child make a "flute" out of a paper towel roll, or hit a bucket to make a "drum" sound. 

 

If you are interested in more read aloud books about music, see below:

 

Here are two links: one for primary and one for upper elementary students.  There are fictional books, biographies about composers, as well as books about different musical styles!   

 

Primary books:  http://mrskingrocks.blogspot.com/2017/01/booksformusicclassprimary.html

Upper Elementary books:  http://mrskingrocks.blogspot.com/2016/10/books-you-need-in-your-music-classroom.html

A fun activity for you to do with your child is to draw what you hear.  Pick a favorite song, usually an instrumental piece, either jazz or classical in style, and listen to the piece.  Ask your child what they thought about as they listened, share what you thought about the music also.  Then distribute paper, pencil, crayons, markers, and/or paint and listen again.  You and your child draw what you hear.  You will probably need to listen to it several times.  It is a great way to connect with your child as you enjoy music together.  One vocal selection that works well is Louis Armstrong's song, "What a Wonderful World."  Movie soundtracks are also fun, such as Star Wars or Pirates of the Caribbean.  (Contributed by Mrs. Bishop, Music Teacher, Anderson Mill.)

What are Piggy Back Songs?  Take a song that you know, like "Happy Birthday," and write new lyrics for the song.  It is an easy and fun way to compose songs.  For example, since spring is here, you could substitute just a few words from the original lyrics for PreK-2nd graders, so young children feel immediately successful.  You could write, "Happy bumblebees buzz here, happy bumblebees buzz here, bumblebees and lovely flowers, happy bumblebees buzz here."  For 3rd graders you could  rewrite all the lyrics to make it more interesting, "Sunny days and warm wind, bumblebees and butterflies, enjoy playing outside, sunny days and warm wind."  4th and 5th graders might enjoy taking  Kidzbop song and writing new lyrics.  For example, take the Kidzbop arrangement of Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling." You could change the lyrics to describe Easter/Spring candies...

 

 

 

Need more examples, check out this:

 

 

Bunny Music Lesson-Pre K-2nd grade-Read Aloud with Sound Effects and Bunny song, contributed by Mrs. Vicki Bishop, Music Teacher, Anderson Mill

Video link for Read Aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4boDtfP6oA

 

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes, a book by DuBose Heyward

This book is a favorite of Mrs. Bishop's, growing up her mother would read it to her every Easter.  The book tells the story of a Country Bunny who delivers a special egg to a sick little boy on Easter, a sweet tale about the importance of giving to others and sacrifice.  There are many fun characters, including her twenty-one baby bunnies, Grandfather Bunny, and also wonderful pictures and settings, including the Palace of the Easter Eggs.  You will love the illustrated pastel pictures by Marjorie Hack.  You could do this activity over two days.

1. Read the story out loud.  Talk about how the country bunny sacrificed her time and traveled a long way to deliver an Easter egg to a sick little boy.

2. The next day, talk about the main characters (bunnies who make fun of the country bunny, her baby bunnies, grandfather bunny, etc.) Assign a sound for each character and read the story again with sound effects: 

 

                                 

                  

 

If you have a smartphone, chances are recording apps are available for download.  Here's a fun way to use your phones to record sounds in nature!

Great activities!  crosswords, recorder songs, music history, composer biographies, practice logs, for elementary, middle and high school students!

 

Music Together is a comprehensive research-based curriculum for Pre-Kindergarten students.  The app is free and there are some free songs your little ones will enjoy singing.  Go to either the App Store or Google Play and type in "Hello Everybody" or "Music Together." Here are some free song examples:

"This Train"
Music can be a fun way to help your child transition from one activity to the next throughout the day. Try making up verses for different activities and tasks that you and your child might do throughout the day and sing them to the melody of "This Train." Replace "children" with your child's name when singing "children get on board." For example:

This train is cleaning up... Charlotte get on board.
This train is bound for bed... Zion get on board.

"All Around the Kitchen"
It's fun to sing this song while you and your child cook in the kitchen. You can also make up your own variations together about the foods you like and how you cook and eat them. It's great if the verses rhyme, but the most important thing is to have fun inventing the words. For example:

Soup, soup, put it in the pot,
warm it up, warm it up, eat it while it's hot!

Bagel, bagel, put it in the toaster,
warm it, toast it, eat it with some jelly!

Ice cream, ice cream, put it in my tummy,
I like (flavor), yummy, yummy, yummy!

 

 

 

This is a great website featuring symphony orchestra performances from all over the nation, including our very own Spartanburg Philharmonic!  Your children will enjoy listening along with you to wonderful classical music!  A couple of pointers:

1. While listening, encourage children to be quiet. 

2  Keep it short.  A three or four minute sample is usually long enough.

3. Afterward, you ask children:

 

Here is the link to the SC Arts in Basic Curriculum Project's Artful Fridays!  Lots of fun zoom lessons in creative writing, music, dance, drama and art!  Your kids will have a blast!!!