Reading Strategies for Use in Music Classrooms

The following list of strategies can be helpful to create interest and increased comprehension in the arts and can potentially involve further cross-curriculum study:

Check them off as you try them with your students.

____Concept mapping: Present a musician’s name or genre and have students find all the information they can about it. Have them create a concept map with their notes and share with the class.

____Journaling: Have students keep a Band Book or a Book for brainstorming ideas/thoughts/ emotions for music assignments.

____Summarizing: Have students learn to summarize by analyzing music and lyrics through critical elements that is inspired by social influences or injustices (Hansen, 2001).

_____Sustained Silent Reading (SSR): Have students read music-related material if there is free time at the end or beginning of class. Or, reserve 10-15 mins per class for SSR.

____Outside reading and research assignments: Have students explore a favorite musical artist, composer, or music movement after perusing various web sites, magazines, or books.

____Comparing works of art: Have students create a Venn diagram that contrasts and compares the work of two musicians from a particular period (Hansen, 2001) & present.

____Writing: Have students write about music and musical components as a method of vocabulary development.

____Music inspired by a short story: Have students read a short story and create a soundtrack that connects/related to what they have read.

____On-line and virtual museum tours: Use the web sights hosted by famous museums to explore notable composers.

_____Interactive CD-ROMs: Use interactive software to allow students to read and explore music at their own pace or during free time at the end of class for enrichment or remediation of concepts.