Halloween note reading

I love the dollar spot at Target. That corner of the store sucks me in like teaching manipulatives wonderworld.  A few years ago, a colleague and I purchased little plastic pumpkins and cauldrons along with some small candy corn erasers to practice notes on the staff.  My new co-teacher and I have upped the ante this year with some new loot.  The addition of cats and small bonbon style candies give the class some rhythmic flexibility.

With cats representing quarter notes, two candies as eighth notes, and corn as the half note, classes have been playing a great mystery song guessing game with a combo of standard and iconic notation.

Super fun and easy to adapt for other seasons. I have little gold coins and rainbows for note reading reviews around St. Pats day.

Tutti - Together - A sense of belonging

First graders at the end of the day are .... a handful.  We have been learning the musical opposites of loud/quiet, high/low, fast/slow, and alone/together.  In teaching these I give the "fancy music names" of presto for fast and largo for slow, piano for quiet and forte for loud.  After being told it was fartay, and forgetay, I began solo and tutti for alone and together.

I have a student who has come from a Spanish speaking country and is in a monolingual English class rather than the dual language program. Whether this is the right placement has been a struggle for the teachers. There are arguments for all sides. As I start doing my solo vs. tutti bit with one finger for alone and all my fingers out for tutti a little voice starts reeling in Spanish. I understand bits and pieces. Suddenly, the student switches to English and starts all over.
They know solo.
Where they are from they were solo, they have no friends.
Here they are tutti.
They have friends.

Our classrooms create a place to belong.  I am so glad my little lesson creates that belonging.