• 34 easy-to-follow lesson plans for toddlers through primary-age children
• lots of photographs
• lots of puppet and felt-board patterns
• movement activities and instrument playing
• special instrument-making section

$38.50

 

Introduction

Index

About the Orff-Schulwerk

Sample cutout page

THE TEACHER:

• Is animated, energetic, and enthusiastic.
• Is happy to sit on the floor with the children and participate with them.

THE LESSONS:

• Contain games and songs for solo singing (pitch matching).
• Include both structured and unstructured movement activities and playing.
• Contain active listening lessons, which incorporate movement, instrument playing, props, and other visuals.

THE CLASSROOM:

• Is a music room, free from toys and other distractions.
• If not a dedicated music room, has been arranged to provide the most possible space and the fewest distractions, with tables and other furniture moved aside.
• Has a cabinet where the instruments are contained in baskets on shelves, out of sight until they are needed.
• Has space for circle games and other movement activities.

THE INSTRUMENTS:

• Are easy to play but are not toys.
• Have the best possible tone quality as well as durability.
• Are kept separate from toys, props, and other non-musical items.
• Are abundant enough so that children can play the same small instruments at the same time.
• Are introduced in musical and interesting ways. (See "Five Handsome Sailors" and "The Gingerbread Man" or "Happiness.")

THE PROPS:

• Are lively and chosen because they teach the musical activity quickly and effectively. (See "The Cuckoo" or "Who's That Hatching?")
• Are kept in a special bag or box or other container such as a suitcase, a bucket, or a picnic basket.
• Include attractive, colorful, high-quality books, flannel board items, scarves, and puppets.

THE SONGS:

• Are short.
• Have a limited range.
• Include repetition to aid in-tune singing.
• Can be sung easily.
• Will very soon be sung by the children without adult accompaniment.
• Include solo singing parts and games but have parts for the group, too.
  (See "The Cuckoo", "Cuckoo Clock", "Eensy Weensy Spider", "Five Little Jack-O-Lanterns", "Rainbow 'Round Me" and "Who's That Hatching?")

THE TRANSITIONS:

• Are musical. (They are songs, too.)
• Focus on starting the class and keeping it going without lapses of time when children can become distracted or disruptive.
• Help the teacher collect the instruments or props quickly and efficiently, with everyone helping.
• Give directions that the children will learn to sing as they make a circle, sit down, and so on.

THE MUSIC MANNERS:

• Teach respect for the music and the instruments.
• Teach respect for the children who may be singing alone or playing a special instrumental part.
• Enable the teacher to incorporate a very active approach so that even listening to a recording can be accomplished with movement, props, or small instrumental accompaniments.