Thursday, March 19, 2015

Reading Red Rhythms! and purple too

This year's Sunshine class has been very excited about learning to read rhythms.

Every year this is a favorite activity for many kids. I love seeing their eyes light up as they start to "get it" and fall in love with making new rhythm patterns to clap.

Here's my simple strategy -- borrowed and modified from where? I'd love it if someone told me where I got this idea.

I drew some red quarter notes and double purple eighth notes on 3x5 index cards. My cards are getting so old! It's time to make some new ones.

First I show the kids a single red quarter note, and ask them what they see. Of course it's red. We also see it has a round part -- a head, and a long line -- a stem.

I tell them we will call it "red" like its color, and when I point to it, we will all say "RED".

Then they learn that when I point to the note, we will say "RED" AND clap one time.

Next I line up four red notes. We practice saying the name first: 
           RED                       RED                       RED                      RED


Now clapping hands ready! We clap and say RED for each note.
So GOOD!
Ready for something more?


I show them the eighth note pair on a single card. What is different?
It is purple. Good! What else? This will take a little time, but we discover it has two heads!
Would you like to have two heads? 

I teach them to say PUR-PLE when I point to the note. I point to each note head.

We then learn to clap for each note head (syllable), so we clap two times. PUR-PLE

Now there are four cards of purple notes. We say them first.
Then we clap them.

          PUR-PLE          PUR-PLE           PUR-PLE           PUR-PLE


Ready for something more?

I line up the four red cards, and under them the four purple cards. We say them first, going left to right, top line to bottom line. (Reading readiness)

Now, clapping hands ready! We say and clap both lines.

           RED                     RED                   RED               RED
           PUR-PLE        PUR-PLE         PUR-PLE       PUR-PLE










Ready for something more? (Yes, they are!)









Rearrange the cards to create a very simple mixed rhythm. Say it first, Then clap and say.

               RED                 RED                    PUR-PLE             PUR-PLE 










I try not to go too long with this activity at any one time, because one or two children may not ready for this, and they get very frustrated or bored. The ones who understand will get enthusiastic and want to grab the cards to start creating patterns. Next time! They are so full of great ideas.

Transition: 
Now stand up and stomp our last rhythm!
RED  RED  PUR-PLE  PUR-PLE 
RED  RED  PUR-PLE  PUR-PLE

Follow up:

Lately I have been inserting our rhythm cards briefly before storytime. I "warm up" the kids by doing our 4 reds & 4 purples, and then choose one child to create a mixed pattern. I'm keeping track, so everyone will eventually have a turn. We always say it first, then clap it together.