Learning songs playing-based and reading-based concurrently
Found in: Playing-Based Methodology, Reading
Emily C., California
What would you say to a parent asking “Why aren’t they learning new songs from the music notes now that they’ve learned how to read?”
And if they ask “Why do we need to get ‘Time for More Music’ to practice more reading instead of doing that from the Foundation level music books for the new songs?”
Cate R., Australia
We don’t learn reading straight away like we don’t learn debating when we are just learning to talk. Each song that we learn gears us up for a lifetime of playing, and when we are in the reading process our hints and clues help us to decipher what’s on the page and relate it back to what we already know. As we move further into the program there will be songs we learn straight from the page and some we will be using our hints and clues. Ultimately, we want to be able to play anything and not always be reliant on a page in front of us.
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
The Time for More Music songs are designed to introduce concepts to beginning readers (protocol for “I can figure this out”, looking for patterns and anomalies, learning scale maps, duets). Many of the Foundation songs we continue to teach playing-based would be above their reading level. They get to continue learning more advanced music, more playing-based tools for songs that are not pattern-based, and learn reading skills. These all enhance one another.