Help me give my students rhythm instruments for our homemade rhythm kits to help improve reading, writing, and spelling outcomes!
FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Clyde's classroom raised $426
This project is fully funded
My Students
I teach a very large student body at my school (1000+ students). I gratefully serve daily as their enthusiastic music specialist. My students are comprised of a diverse and eclectic mix of cultures and socioeconomic classes spanning all ages and all stages of academic achievement. They stand as a beautiful celebration of the human spirit and diversity! Through music, my students creatively explore ways to communicate who they are, where they have come from, and share points of light from the journey they are taking. Henry Matisse once said, "Creativity takes courage." In my classes that is certainly the case!
Music provides me with a wonderful opportunity to help my students develop a healthy sense of self and community through creatively integrated experiences that enhance their ability to learn and grow.
It gives them what they believe is a fun "break" from learning when in fact, they are learning and growing continually as they perform, play, and create in my classroom!
My Project
I am always striving to arm my students with creative, readily available and inexpensive instruments to help them develop music and academic skills! Many of my students come from families who, out of necessity, live frugally. That's why I am so excited to put together rhythm kits for my kids! Each kit, which is made from a #10 can turned into a drum, will contain a pair of drumsticks, a tambourine, and an inexpensive cutting board to be used as a makeshift "drum pad" in class! With these kits, students spanning all grade levels will have the opportunity to explore rhythm and beat as they "tap" their way to proficiency in both music and language arts with a new program that I am developing.
As fun and creative as these kits will be, ultimately, they serve to provide my students with essential tools to improve their ability to read and perform music as well as master the division of words into syllables and phrases for better reading, writing, and spelling outcomes.
To help implement my program, I will use words divided into syllables that correlate directly with specific rhythms. Examples would include one syllable words such as tree which can be expressed by a single quarter note or beat in music. Another example would be using two syllable words such as apple or cherry and correlating them with a pair of barred eighth notes. I will have rhythm boards where students can create rhythms out of words or find words to match rhythms and then perform them using the drumsticks and tambourines. We will also create rhythmic sentences to introduce poetry and composition. Amazingly, these instruments have the ability to connect sight, sound, touch, and thought. That gives them a decided edge in educating children!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Clyde and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.