THIRD AND FOURTH GRADES Modern Music Primer. Snowy Day, p. 55. Jacky Frost, p. 80. Apple Tree, p. 18. Young Musician, p. 21. Book I. Eleanor Smith. A List of Songs Going to Grandmother's, p. 101. Modern Music Series. Book I. Dancing Song, p. 23. Six Little Mice, p. 43. I. Desk-book for Teachers: My Lady's Garden, p. 76. Marching Song, p. 30. Springtime's Coming, p. 41 Oriole's Nest, p. 72. Ladybird, p. 102. Naughty Brooklet, p. 112. Squirrel's Thanksgiving, p. 124. Come, Dear Children, p. 47. FIFTH GRADE Modern Music. Book II. Silver, Burdett & Co. Eleanor Smith Course. Book II. American Book Co. II. Aims: 1. To establish light, head-quality of tone. 2. To establish breathing at beginning of phrases. 3. To cure all monotones. (For directions write the office.) 4. To establish habits of position and attention (Write the office.) 5. To establish habits of relaxed jaw in speaking as well as singing. 6. To secure clean-cut enunciation in singing, with an absolute avoidance of any sliding of voice from note to note; this clean-cut enunciation to be carried over into all speech. Make it a habit, not a happening. 7. Greatest of all-to secure a joy in song-expression, the foundation of all. III. List of songs for chorus work: 1. Thanksgiving Song--Songs of Childhood. Gaynor, p. 67. 2. Morning Prayer-Songs of Childhood. Gaynor, p. 42. 3. When Morning Gilds the Skies (From Hymnals) 4. Christmas Bells. Modern Music Book II. 5. O How Lovely Is the Evening. (A round). 6. A Boat! A Boat! (A round.) 7. Goodnight to you all. (A round.) 8. My Old Kentucky Home. 9. Suwanee River. 10. Seeing Nellie Home. 11. Santa Lucia. 12. Love's Old Sweet Song. 13. America. 14. The Star Spangled Banner. IV. Teachers' Directions: 1. Please watch position carefully whenever singing is done. Correct position means: a. Feet on floor squarely (if sitting or standing). b. Push back on seats of chairs as far as possible. c. Backs erect, not touching chair backs. d. Chest out. e. Head up. f. Eyes front. NOTE: (a) Allow no stiffness of shoulders or arms in attempting to get good positions. The body is relaxed but the chest and back are not. The chest and back hold up the relaxed body. (b) Please be very strict in all these position points. 2. The following details are to be watched in all singing: a. Use a pitch pipe or instrument for pitching and pitch high. b. Rhythm. (Whenever possible let a movement suggested by something in the song, accompany the singing. For instance in the Thanksgiving Song, let the class pretend to use sickles and swing them rhythmically. Return to the movement whenever the rhythm is bad.) c. Precise intonation. (Allow no sliding of voice from note to note. Make each pitch clean and distinct.) d. Times and tunes. (Have them exact.) e. Tone. (Let it be soft, high, sustained.) f. Pronunciation. (Round vowels and clean cut consonants.) g. A relaxed lower jaw. h. Breathing deeply at every phrase. i. Interpretation. (Bringing out the meaning of the song.) Read the suggestions, pp. 593-600, carefully. If sight reading is to be attempted it should be begun in Grade IV, using, as simplest and least expensive, the Congdon Primers No. I, II, III; one of each of these books should be in the children's hands. From time to time, lists of songs, with directions for teaching, will be issued from the office. Teachers' meetings will be announced. SIXTH, SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADES Since most schools have a small attendance in the upper grades it is well to combine Grades VI, VII, and VIII for music. A book in the hands of these pupils is absolutely essential. Soprano should be sung by Grade VI. If there is a second part, assign it to Grades VII and VIII. Boys with changing voices should sing a low third part, but these boys require almost weekly testing, so that their parts may be properly assigned. Allow no boy under twelve years to sing low. If sight reading is to be attempted it should be begun in Grade IV, using as simplest and least expensive the Congdon Primers Nos. I, II, III. One of each of these books should be in the children's hands. From time to time, lists of songs, with directions for teaching, will be issued from the office. Teachers' 'meetings will be announced. I. Aims: 1. To establish light, head-quality of tone. 2. To establish breathing at beginning of phrases. 3. To cure all monotones. (For directions write the office.) 4. To establish habits of position and attention. (Write the office.) 5. To establish habit of relaxed jaw in speaking as well as in singing. 6. To secure clean-cut enunciation in singing, with an absolute avoidance of any sliding of voice from note to note; this clean-cut enunciation to be carried over into all speech. Make it a habit, not a happening. 7. Greatest of all—to secure a joy in song-expression, the foundation of all. II. Songs: 1. Book in children's hands, select Rote Songs from: Lyric Music Series No. II. Progressive Music Series, No. III. Alternate Third Book. Modern Music Series. Eleanor Smith Course, Book III. 2. List of songs for chorus work: a. Thanksgiving Song-Songs of Childhood. Gaynor, p. 67. b. Morning Prayer-Songs of Childhood. Gaynor, p. 42. c. When Morning Gilds the Skies. (To be found in church hymnals.) d. Christmas Bells. Modern Music Book II. Three rounds from Eleanor Smith Music Course, Book II. (1) O How Lovely Is the Evening. (2) A Boat! A Boat! (3) Goodnight to You All. f. My Old Kentucky Home. g. Suwanee River. i. Santa Lucia. j. Love's Old Sweet Song. k. America. e. The Star Spangled Banner. 3. Community song-books: & Co. For uniting with the community in singing, two song books may be used: One Hundred Old Songs. Cable Co., Chicago. III. Teachers' directions: 1. Please watch position carefully whenever singing is done. Correct position means: a. Feet on floor squarely (if sitting or standing). c. Backs erect, not touching chair backs. d. Chest out. e. Head up. f. Eyes front. 2. Allow no stiffness of shoulders or arms in attempting to get good positions. The body is relaxed but the chest and back are not. The chest and back hold up the relaxed body. 3. Please be very strict in all these position points. 4. The following details are to be watched in all singing: a. Use a pitch pipe or instrument for pitching, and pitch high. b. Rhythm. (Whenever possible let a movement suggested by something in the song, accompany the singing. For instance, in the Thanksgiving Song, let the class pretend to use sickles and swing them rhythmically. Return to the movement whenever the rhythm is bad.) c. Precise intonation. (Allow no sliding of voice from note to note. Make each pitch clean and distinct.) d. Time and tune. (Have them exact.) e. Tone. (Let it be soft, high, sustained.) f. Pronunciation. (Round vowels and clean-cut consonants.) g. A relaxed jaw. h. Breathing deeply at every phrase. i. Interpretation. (Bringing out the meaning of the song.) DRAWING: PRIMARY GRADES The love of the beautiful is as instinctive as any emotion, and its cultivation is essential to the complete fulfilment of our personality. The aim of art instruction in the curriculum is to aid in "the expression of energy in terms of beauty" (Dow) .by developing the esthetic side of the child's nature. "We want to open the eyes and minds of the children everywhere to the sunshine of beauty, to carry happiness and ideals into the hearts of young people, and into the homes from whence they come."-Munsterberg. This may be done by developing appreciation through association with the beautiful. Within the realm of the school this means the unconscious influence exerted by good pictures upon our walls, by the shrine of beauty presenting its bit of color, arrangement and harmony, by placing in the hands of the children for closer observation pictures by great artists, and other works of art; by providing opportunity for expression in art mediums; by training children to exercise judgment through class criticisms, thereby increasing the capacity for enjoyment. It seems important to introduce the children to a wide range of visual materials rather than to force the accuracy of observations in any one direction. The subjects for study are closely related to other subjects such as nature study, industrial arts, geography, history, reading and literature as well as to holiday seasons and activities in the home. This includes the seasonal coloring of plants and landscapes, the illustrations of dramatic incidents, the decorations of such articles as the children have occasion to make during the year, and a simple study of the great masterpieces which the children love. With the younger children both material and method are adapted to their needs and ability, and the work is used mainly as a medium of expression through which ideas are clarified. In the first three grades the play spirit predominates, the mere joy of making things, or of trying to make them, and to make them beautiful as well. There is an attempt to make the work purposeful to the children by setting such problems as they can appreciate and accomplish. Spontaneous, joyous work results in original delightful representation. Later, as the children grow older, in the fourth grade, there comes a dissatisfaction with crude results and technique may be emphasized. Lessons in the main become perfunctory unless related to some project having permanent value as judged from the utilitarian standpoint. |