Music in Reception
Term 1 My Musical Classroom
The term begins with activities perfect for getting the class settled into school life! The children will learn simple welcome songs and have fun working as a class to create simple actions to accompany songs and nursery rhymes. They will learn to follow musical instructions and explore creative movement – jumping like a jack-in-the-box or dancing like a rock ’n’ roll teddy bear! The children will experience a range of music from West African dance to the sound of Norwegian ice instruments! They will learn to recognize simple classroom percussion instruments and compare their sounds. They will compose simple sound sequences and represent them using objects and pictures. To round the term off, why not ‘take a song for a walk’ by singing a song to different people and in different places in the school?
Term 2 Musical Patterns And Performing
Music is full of patterns! This term begins with activities designed to get children recognizing musical patterns in songs and music. The children will develop their recognition of classroom percussion instruments, using them to play simple accompaniments and simple rhythm patterns. They will begin to explore ways to change sounds and create simple patterns, e.g. playing loudly, quietly, slowly or quickly. Composing music inspired by transport, machines and robots provides an opportunity to explore descriptive sounds and to develop an understanding of pictorial notations. From ‘Fossils’ (Carnival Of The Animals by Saint-Saëns) to Don’t Stop Me Now (Freddie Mercury), lessons have an active listening activity, providing the children with opportunities to experience music through movement, dance, art or role-play.
A simple performance is a fitting way to end the term.
Term 3 Sound Stories
From simple singing games to wiggly snail trails, this term begins with opportunities to tell playful stories using voices and tuned instruments. Heading outdoors is encouraged with musical storytelling inspired by the natural environment. From sound sticks to journey sticks, the children will learn to create musical patterns. Listening choices also reflect the outdoors theme – the perfect opportunity to learn about instruments made from wood such as the didgeridoo, the log drum, the courting flute and temple blocks. An introduction to musical timbre is explored through fairy-tale characters as the children learn to associate characters with instruments. They explore the effect of layering instrumental sounds, developing an understanding of musical texture. Children will learn to use simple sound effects and pictorial notation to accompany a story or song. From a choice of activities, the children can retell The Three Billy Goats Gruff, create a fairy-tale sound map, or create a class song box for Come With Me To The Beach.