Music Education of the Elementary grades

Music classes during the Elementary grades at HD Qingdao are a time to explore, create, collaborate, and take risks. Students learn to read and write music through fun activities that get everyone moving, singing, playing instruments and thinking. The arts provide a safe environment for children to build a passion for learning, to gain self-confidence through performance, and to practice speaking in a new language. Through the study of music, HD Qingdao students learn about the world, find their own talents, and work with their classmates to create their own ideas.

1st grade: Music class for young children is a time to explore the sounds we can make with our voices and instruments, and to have lots of joy while experiencing music. In addition to listening to many kinds of music, students get the opportunity to make music themselves at school. Here we see students learning about beatboxing, which is an art that involves making drum sounds with our mouth. Students got to practice their English letter sounds while creating a music composition, and got to perform their ideas for their classmates.

2nd grade: As children grow in the second grade, they become more capable and are excited to try out many instruments that they are curious about. Our classes provide many projects that teach students the fundamentals of writing music, and children are encouraged to use their creativity. One structure our students use to compose music is called an “echo composition”: they write one rhythmic idea that is played by two instruments, and take turns with a classmate to perform.

4th grade: One of the greatest lessons we can learn in music is through making a mistake (or several). While fourth grade students are learning to read music for drums, they independently equipment to record their progress. We help students work together to get better at playing music, and give them the language to help each other improve. When students listen to their own recordings, they have time to reflect on their skills and discover what they need to practice.