7 ‘Ultra Fun’ Composer Studies Activities For 6 – 9 Year Olds

Do you think that your primary schoolers are too young to embark on composer studies’ work in the homeschool? 

Well, I do understand your apprehension, but I’m also here to tell you that you don’t have to worry. 

With the right activities, you can have them loving composer studies, and then in turn use composer studies to get them into music appreciation. 

I know, your biggest question now, is what are those activities and how do you teach your kids when you don’t know the first thing about it?

Well, in this post I’m going to explain seven different activities you can do with your 6 – 9 year olds and I am even going to give you access to tools like worksheets and online courses and much more. 

Excited?

Ok, let’s get started. 

Composer Stories

You can get the kids started by helping them select some composers that they would like to research. 

Next, help them find facts about the composer. 

Your local library will be a good source for books and google is always the the ‘go to’ choice, but I prefer the old fashioned route with books. 

So if you are like me and would like some recommendations on books for this activity, then please read my post, Composer Biographies For All Ages. 

Notebooking Pages

There are tons of free and paid composer study related note booking pages for the 3 – 5 year cohort that you can find online. 

One great source is Teachers Pay Teachers. 

However, if you don’t have time to spend hours looking for printables that your kids would love, don’t worry, I have you covered. 

Just download the printables I have made available with this post, and you are good to go. 

Online Courses

Yes, online composer study courses are another fun way to get your primary schoolers into music. 

Think they are really expensive, well they can be. But don’t worry, I have got you covered there as well. 

Just click on this link and let me give you a free preview of the composer studies unit just for your little one. 

Listening Activities

Now that they have done the research and have learned about the composer, it is time to ask them to create a playlist of compositions by the musician and listen to the music in the background during homeschool hours. 

This will help your kids to internalize the melodies and become familiar with the composers style. 

You can expand this activity further by following through to the next activity I have suggested. 

Music Analysis

Tell your kids to choose two compositions from the playlist and to analyze the two by comparing and contrasting them for the instruments used, the mood, the tempo, pitch, volume etc. 

Want more ideas on how to help your primary schoolers analyse music? Then read my post, 3 ‘Must Teach’ Music Analysis Activities For Primary Students. 

Hands On Activities

Once your kids have read books and done the necessary research on the life and works of the composer (facts about composers like the birth country, year of birth, famous composition, age the composer lived in etc), you can move on to more hands on activities. 

For starters you can help them create a lap book or a scrap book with pictures from the composers country, the instruments the composer played, pictures of the composer etc. 

What do you think?

Field Activities

Finally, how about some field activities? 

Take your kids to an instrument store where he can touch and feel an instrument that the composer played.

How about going to a music show that features compositions of the composer? 

Other activities would be going to the museum to experience what life would have been like during the age in which the composer lived. 

Going to a local cultural centre to learn more about life in the composers country etc. 

What other field activities can you think of. 

Now over to you.

Let me know what other activities you can add over and above the ones I have suggested here.