OAKE Eastern Division Conference Presentation

After preparing since May, I finally presented at the Organization of American Kodaly Educators Eastern Division Conference.  My topic was "Using Children's Literature to Prepare and Practice Music in the Elementary."  I was able to share 6 book activities with about 50+ veteran teachers and Millersville Students.  I also shared some research on song-based picture books (you can read about it in my previous post), some tips for obtaining books, and quick ways to integrate ELA concepts based on the PA Core Standards in ELA and A Standards Crosswalk Between Common Core and Music which was developed by the New York State School Music Association.

Five Green and Speckled Frogs, illustrated by Constanza Basaluzzo, is a song-based picture book, meaning the text is simply the lyrics of a song.  We sang this song, added non-pitched percussion sound effects on the the onomatopoeia, and clapped the mystery rhythm (syncopation with eighth, quarter, eighth) each time it was heard in the song.  My students at Mill Road helped me prepared for this part of my presentation by singing along with the book during our morning "sing-in"!

Rap A Tap Tap by Leo and Diane Dillon is a book that my first graders will read with me near the end of the year.  We talk about how this book is biographical and I introduce them to the main character, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, by showing them a short video of Mr. Robinson performing a tap dance with child star Shirley Temple.  The first graders are expected to identify the form of the book (Call and Response) and the rhythmic pattern that is used as the response.  The students then perform the response using rhythm sticks to simulate the tap dancing sounds.  Finally, the kids compose their own tap dancing rhythms that we use instead of the response from the book.

Up, Up, Down by Robert Munsch is a favorite for my 2nd graders.  We will use this book near the end of the year when we are focusing on identifying melodic contours like upward and downward motion.  The kids love adding sound effects to this book and singing along with a familiar melody.

If you haven't guessed by now, Robert Munsch is one of my favorite children's book authors!  His writing style is perfect for adding music to, because he uses so much onomatopoeia (words that make the sound that they are describing like "click" or "moo").  He also uses very clear patterns in his writing.  Mortimer just happens to be one of my favorites by Robert Munsch.  In the story, Mortimer doesn't want to go to sleep, so he sings a song instead.  My first graders learn Mortimer's song, add the sound of footsteps on a staircase with the help of drums and even act out parts of the book.  At the end we discuss how our tempo or dynamics had to change to help tell the story.

One Frog Sang by Shirley Parenteau is a new book in my collection.  I found this one at a yard sale this summer and hope to use it as a composition project for 3rd grade later in the year.  I have to extend a big "Thank You" to all of the participants at my presentation for being the guinea pigs for this activity!  We created a soundscape with this book by singing pentatonic ostinati for each of the frog sounds.  Our frog chorus sounded spectacular!

I couldn't do my presentation with out sharing this great activity that I learned in my Orff Level II training at Villanova.  A BIG "THANK YOU" to Janie Vance, my movement professor, who shared this activity with our class.  She read The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle and paired it with "The Fairy Garden" from Ravel's Mother Goose Suite.  It was the perfect ending! Thanks Janie!

Stay tuned for more about the conference!