EXA 0-16a Supporting Guidance – CREATE Resources for Teachers

E & O: I enjoy singing and playing along to music of different styles and cultures (EXA 0-16a)

Use of the voice and singing with an understanding of pitch

Using visuals to support, model use of the voice in different ways and learners engage through call and response e.g. ‘Have you got your speaking/singing/loud/quiet voice?’
Model the use of a ‘singing voice’ for singing songs and a ‘speaking voice’ for chanting rhymes.
Select songs and rhymes which are short and repetitive and teach by breaking down into chunks e.g. line by line, using call and response.
Select songs within a pitch range which is manageable for children to sing –children have a very limited range (middle D to the B above). A chime bar is useful for finding an appropriate starting pitch.
Encourage learners use movement to show the change in pitch (higher and lower) as they sing simple songs.
Using call and response, learners should hear and repeat short phrases from familiar songs at, or close to, the same pitch
Model and encourage learners change their voice and sing songs using different dynamics (louder and quieter).
Create opportunities for learners to sing words or short phrases individually during singing games e.g. singing their name.
Introduce learners to the concept of internalisingby asking them to sing/say single words or phrases from familiar songs and rhymes ‘in their head’ using a ‘thinking voice’. A cone/finger puppet can be used to indicate when to sing out loud and when to sing in their head.

Developing awareness of beat and rhythm

Model a steady beat/pulse using body percussion, actions or a percussion instrument.
Provide opportunities for learners to develop their sense of pulse by keeping a steady beat with movement e.g. using simple actions, marching on the spot or walking, clapping their hands or tapping their knees.
Support learners to understand the concept of pulse/beat in music by relating it to the regular pulse/heartbeat in our bodies-learners can tap heart shapes to the beat whilst singing/chanting to reinforce this concept.
Give learners opportunities to experience beat at different tempos by singing/chanting a song/rhyme faster or slower.
Support learners to keep a steady beat using a percussion instrument, e.g. claves or drum, while singing a simple song.
Introduce rhythm to learners as patterns of short and long sounds –model and ask learners to copy rhythm patterns by clapping the rhythm of words from short, repetitive rhymes.
Support learners to understand both concepts by combining beat and rhythm when chanting a rhyme e.g. half the group can keep a steady beat on their knees, while the other half clap the rhythm.
Introduce the rhythm names for 1 beat (ta) 2 half beats (tete) using familiar rhymes with a repetitive rhythm e.g. Buster Buster, Engine Engine.
Provide opportunities for learners to follow pictorial symbols which represent the rhythm of a familiar and repetitive rhyme.

Participates actively and uses his/her voice in singing activities from a range of styles and cultures, for example, nursery rhymes and songs with actions.
Uses instruments such as drum, claves, chime bar to play along to a range of music styles.