"Literature flourishes best when it is half a trade and half an art." This quote by William Ralph Inge relates to my project in that the fusion of art and music is very powerful. My kindergarten students have access to beautiful music but need to experience the picture books that go with it.
My students live in a suburban part of a small Midwestern city.
Our school is a Title 1 school. Roughly half of our student population receives free or reduced lunches. My students love coming to music class, where they sing, move, play instruments, and create their own music. Every child comes to music class twice a week for thirty minutes. Each of our students has a chance to perform for families and community members each year. Our school and district takes pride in its strong music program.
My Project
My kindergarten students delight in the charming songs in John Feierabend's "First Steps in Music" curriculum. Included in this curriculum are wonderful song tales, or folk tales that are sung. Our music classroom does not have the beautifully illustrated picture books that go along with the curriculum. The children have to imagine the tales in their heads. I would love to show these books to them when we listen to the song tales.
Kindergartners love books with brilliant pictures, and seeing these song tales come to life would be very enriching for them. I could also use these books as part of our music learning centers for kindergarten through second grade students. They will learn the song tales more quickly by seeing the pictures, and they will be able to recall these musical works more quickly in subsequent classes. They will remember these song tales throughout their childhood and understand the importance of folk songs throughout their lives.
Donations to this project will improve my classroom because they will give my youngest students the missing piece of the music curriculum they learn and enjoy.
Seeing the illustrations of these books will enrich their imaginations as they listen to the beautiful song tales I sing to them. They will learn and remember these song tales throughout their lives.
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