The years before children enter kindergarten are critical for their musical development. Young children need a rich musical environment in which to grow. The increasing number of daycare centers, nursery schools, and early-intervention programs for children with disabilities and children at risk suggests that information should be available about the musical needs of infants and young children and that standards for music should be established for these learning environments as well as for K-12 settings.

The standards outlined in this section reflect the following beliefs concerning the musical learning of young children:

• All children have musical potential
• Children bring their own unique interests and abilities to the music learning environment
• Very young children are capable of developing critical thinking skills through musical idea
• Children come to early-childhood music experiences from diverse backgrounds
• Children should experience exemplary music sounds, activities, and materials
• Children should not be encumbered with the need to meet performance goals
• Children's play is their work
• Children learn best in pleasant physical and social environments
• Diverse learning environments are needed to serve the development needs of many individual children
• Children need effective adult models

Effective music teaching in the pre-kindergarten should:

• support the child's total development--physical, emotional, social, and cognitive
• recognize the wide range of normal development in pre-kindergarten and the need to differentiate their instruction
• facilitate learning through active interaction with adults and other children as well as with music materials
• consist of learning activities and materials that are real, concrete, and relevant to the lives of young children
• provide opportunities for children to choose from among a variety of music activities, materials, and equipment of varying degrees of difficulty
• allow children time to explore music through active involvement

Two-, three-, and four-year old children need an environment that includes a variety of sound sources, selected recorded music, and opportunities for free improvised singing and the building of a repertoire of songs. An exploratory approach, using a wide range of appropriate materials, provide a rich base from which conceptual understanding can evolve in later years. A variety of individual musical experiences is important for children at this age, with little emphasis on activities that require children to perform together as a unit. As a result of their experiences with music, four-year-olds should initiate both independent and collaborative play with musical materials, and they should demonstrate curiosity about music.

Content Standard 1:

Singing and playing instruments

Achievement Standard:

Children

1. use their voices expressively as they speak, chant, and sing
2. sing a variety of simple songs in various keys, meters, and genres, alone and with a group, becoming increasingly accurate in rhythm and pitch
3. experience with a variety of instruments and other sound sources
4. play simple melodies and accompaniments on instruments

Content Standards 2:

Creating music

Achievement Standard:

Children

1. improvise songs to accompany their activities
2. improvise instrumental accompaniments to songs, recorded selections, stories, and poems
3. create short pieces of music, using voices, instruments, and other sound sources
4. invent and use original graphic or symbolic systems to represent vocal and instrumental sounds and musical ideas

Content Standard 3:

Responding to music

Achievement Standard:

Children

1. identify the sources of a wide variety of sounds
2. respond through movement to music of various temps, meters, dynamics, modes, c. genres, and styles to express what thy hear and feel in works of music
3. participate freely in music activities

Content Standard 4:

Understanding music

Achievement Standard:

Children

1. use their vocabulary and standard music vocabulary and standard music vocabulary to describe voices, instruments, music notation, and music of various genres, styles, and periods from diverse cultures
2. sing, play instruments, move, or verbalize to demonstrate awareness of the elements of music and changes in their usage
3. demonstrate an awareness of music as a part of daily life

Performing, creating, and responding to music are the fundamental music processes in which humans engage. Students, particularly in grades K-3, learn by doing. Singing, playing instruments, moving to music, and creating music enable them t acquire musical skills and knowledge that can b developed in no other way. Learning to read and notate music gives them a skill with which to explore music independently and with others. Listening to, analyzing, and evaluating music are important building blocks of musical learning. Further, to participate fully in a diverse, global society, students must understand their own historical and cultural heritage and those of others within their communities and beyond. Because music is a basic expression of human culture, every student should have access to balanced, comprehensive, and sequential program of study in music.

[4-8 Standards] [9-12 Standards] [Music Home]

Content Standard 1:

Sing Alone and With Others A Varied Repertoire Of Music

1. use voices appropriately, while speaking, chanting and singing
2. sing a variety of simple songs in various keys, meters and *genres
3. record and playback vocal sounds

Content Standard 2:

Perform On Instruments, Alone And With Others, A Varied Repertoire Of Music

1. echo short rhythmic and melodic patterns
2. experiment with a variety of *classroom instruments and other sound sources

Content Standard 3:

Improvise Melodies, Variations, And Accompaniments

1. improvise songs to accompany their play activities

Content Standard 4:

Compose And Arrange Music Within Specific Guidelines

Content Standard 5:

Read And Notate Music

1. invent and use original symbolic systems to represent vocal and instrumental sounds and musical ideas

Content Standard 6:

Listen To, Analyze, And Describe Music

1. respond through movement to music of various tempos, meters, dynamics, modes, *genres, and styles to express what they hear and feel in works of music
2. identify simple music forms when presented aurally

Content Standard 7:

Evaluate Music And Music Performances

1. use their own vocabulary and standard music vocabulary to describe musical performances

Content Standard 8:

Understand Relationships between Music, The Other Arts And Disciplines Outside The Arts

Content Standard 9:

Understand Music In Relation To History And Culture

1. demonstrate an awareness of music as a part of daily life

Content Standard 10:

Understand And Create Music Through Technology

Content Standard 1:

Sing Alone And With Others A Varied Repertoire Of Music

1. sing independently, on pitch and in rhythm, with appropriate timbre, diction, and posture, while maintaining a steady tempo
2. sing a varied repertoire of songs representing *genres and styles from diverse cultures
3. experiment with vocal sound using appropriate computer software

Content Standard 2:

Perform On Instruments, Alone And With Others, A Varied Repertoire Of Music

1. perform easy rhythmic and melodic patterns accurately and independently on both pitched and non-pitched *classroom instruments
2. perform independent instrumental parts while other students sing or play contrasting parts
3. perform rhythmic and melodic patterns accurately and independently on pitched and non-pitched *classroom instruments

Content Standard 3:

Improvise Melodies, Variations, And Accompaniments

1. improvise "answers" in the same style to given rhythmic and melodic phrases

Content Standard 4:

Compose And Arrange Music Within Specific Guidelines

1. create and arrange music to accompany readings and dramatizations

Content Standard 5:

Read And Notate Music

1. use a graphic system to read simple pitch and rhythmic notation

Content Standard 6:

Listen To, Analyze, And Describe Music

1. respond through purposeful movement to selected prominent music characteristics or to specific music events while listening to music

Content Standard 7:

Evaluate Music And Music Performances

1. use their own vocabulary and standard music vocabulary to describe musical performances

Content Standard 8:

Understand Relationships between Music, The Other Arts And Disciplines Outside The Arts

1. identify ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music

Content Standard 9:

Understand Music In Relation To History And Culture

1. demonstrate audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed

Content Standard 10:

Understand And Create Music Through Technology

Content Standard 1:

Sing Alone And With Others A Varied Repertoire Of Music

1. sing *expressively, with appropriate dynamics, phrasing, and interpretation
2. sing ostinatos and canon
3. experiment with vocal sound using appropriate computer software b. perform independent instrumental parts while other students sing or play contrasting parts

Content Standard 2:

Perform on Instruments, Alone and With Others, A Varied Repertoire of Music

1. perform expressively a varied repertoire of music representing diverse *genres and styles
2. perform independent instrumental parts while other students sing or play contrasting parts
3. experiment with and perform rhythmic and melodic pieces on computer assisted instruments

Content Standard 3:

Improvise Melodies, Variations, And Accompaniments

1. improvise simple rhythmic and melodic ostinato accompaniments

Content Standard 4:

Compose And Arrange Music Within Specific Guidelines

1. create and arrange musical pieces within specific guidelines

Content Standard 5:

Read And Notate Music

1. use standard symbols to notate meter, rhythm, pitch, and dynamics in simple patterns
2. reinforce the reading of music elements through the use of technology

Content Standard 6:

Listen To, Analyze, And Describe Music

1. demonstrate perceptual skills by moving, answering questions about, and describing examples of musical styles representing diverse cultures
2. identify the characteristics of acoustic and electronic instruments

Content Standard 7:

Evaluate Music And Music Performances

1. use their own vocabulary and standard music vocabulary to describe musical performances

Content Standard 8:

Understand Relationships between Music, The Other Arts And Disciplines Outside The Arts

1. identify ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music
2. use technology to understand relationships between multiple disciplines

Content Standard 9:

Understand Music In Relation To History And Culture

1. identify various uses of music in their daily experiences and describe characteristics that make certain music suitable for each use
2. use multimedia to experience the unique cultural aspects of world music

Content Standard 10:

Understand And Create Music Through Technology

Content Standard 1:

Sing Alone And With Others A Varied Repertoire Of Music

1. sing in groups, blending vocal timbres, matching dynamic levels, and responding to the cues of a conductor
2. sing partner songs with independence
3. uses computer for aural training

Content Standard 2:

Perform On Instruments, Alone And With Others, A Varied Repertoire Of Music

1. perform in groups, blending instrumental timbres, matching dynamic levels, and analyzing, and responding to the cues of a conductor
2. perform independent instrumental parts while other students sing or play contrasting parts
3. experiment with and perform rhythmic and melodic pieces on computer assisted instruments

Content Standard 3:

Improvise Melodies, Variations, And Accompaniments

1. improvise simple rhythmic variations
2. use technology to create accompaniments to known melodies

Content Standard 4:

Compose And Arrange Music Within Specific Guidelines

1. use a variety of sound sources to include traditional, nontraditional and electronic sounds

Content Standard 5:

Read And Notate Music

1. identify symbols and traditional terms referring to dynamics, tempo, and articulation and interpret them correctly when performing
2. reinforce the reading of music elements through the use of technology

Content Standard 6:

Listen To, Analyze, And Describe Music

1. use appropriate terminology in explaining music: music notation, music instruments and voices, and music performances
2. use multimedia to identify the characteristics of music from various cultures

Content Standard 7:

Evaluate Music And Music Performances

1. devise criteria for evaluating performances and compositions

Content Standard 8:

Understand Relationships between Music, The Other Arts And Disciplines Outside The Arts

1. identify ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music
2. use technology to understand relationships between multiple disciplines

Content Standard 9:

Understand Music In Relation To History And Culture

1. identify and describe roles of musicians in various music settings and cultures
2. use multimedia to explore the historical characteristics of music

Content Standard 10:

Understand And Create Music Through Technology