3 ‘Ridiculously’ Simple Steps To Select And Work With A Musical Theme
If you’ve been a reader of my blog for some time, you would have no doubt noticed that I often suggest that parents select a musical theme and use it for a period of time, as a super simple method of incorporating music into the homeschool.
However, I think that what I have been stating has been a bit ambiguous and therefore, I thought that I should write a post spelling out the steps of how to do this, and how best to implement such as strategy.
Before we begin, I also want to tell you that when you select a musical theme for your homeschool and decide to work with it, you should plan to use the said theme for two weeks as a minimum and four weeks as a maximum.
While there is no harm in using one theme for more than a month, I think when you try to move from one theme to another each week, it can cause confusion and overwhelm.
Hence, sticking to a theme for at least two weeks is ideal.
Ok, so now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s move to the first step.
Step One – Select A Musical Theme To Incorporate
This can be as simple as choosing a specific instrument to study over the next month.
Some other ideas include but are not limited to
– A Composer
– Genre of Music
– An Era In Music
– A Ballet
I think you get the picture, don’t you?
So let’s move on to the second step
Step Two – Map Out The Activities For Immersion
Now that you’ve selected the theme, map out the activities that your kids would like to do.
Before you begin, please ensure that the activities are age appropriate.
Let’s say your chosen theme for the month is Beethoven.
Some activities you can do with your kids include but are not limited to
– Creating a playlist of Beethoven’s symphonies (for background listening)
– Analysis of Beethoven’s symphonies (want to know how to do this? Read my post 6 ‘Unbelievably’ Simple Ways To Teach Your Kids Music Analysis)
– Research the life and works of Beethoven
– Find books in the local library and read about Beethoven
Want more ideas for immersion, categorized by age? Then read my post on Musical Theme Immersion Activities Categorized By Age.
Step Three – Implement And Don’t Forget To Have Fun!
Yes, having fun is of paramount importance, because if we are not having fun, learning becomes a chore and that is not good.
If you want your kids to retain what they learned and come back for more, then you have to continuously make it fun for them.
The first and most important thing then to do, is to ensure that they are on board with the selection of the instrument, composer or the theme.
After you do this once, you can rinse and repeat the entire process over and over again.
Hey, why not pick a theme for each month of the year?
Karen Cadera
Founder/Creator
Mom, Teacher, Minimalist, Zero Waste Enthusiast, Multi Pod.
My daughter loved the games, but there were also worksheets and videos. The weekly lesson plans were complete, and I never questioned what I should be doing next.
This program reminded me (and allowed me to teach my son) how to read music. To me, that was the most important thing that we learned together. Of course, it was very rewarding for me to watch my son play the piano with both hands at the same time, while reading sheet music. His favorite parts of the course were actually playing the songs and doing the worksheets provided.
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