12/9/2020 Engaging All Types of Learners in the Music Classroom - NAfME

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Engaging All Types of Learners in the Music Classroom

 July 21, 2017

Engaging All Types of Learners in the Music Classroom

Tools and Techniques to Reach Different Types of Learners in the Music Classroom 
By NAfME Member Brian Wagner-Yeung

Music teachers often have a di cult job creating exciting and innovative activities for students. These
activities can include: singing songs, listening to musical examples, learning to play di erent types of
instruments, learning to read music, incorporating folk dances, composing, and being exposed to historical
and multicultural music.

Nevertheless, not every student who enters the music room learns in the same way, especially special
learners. Music teachers can easily change the way instruction is presented to allow all students to have an
entry point into the musical activities. Three key words that are used when discussing special learners
include: adaptation, modi cation, and accommodation. In addition, di erentiation can be incorporated into
this group as well.

As mentioned, music teachers can easily change (or adapt) the way instruction is presented to allow all
students to have an entry point into the musical activities. Some examples of adapted instruction can
include:

color-coding,
using non-traditional materials,
using icons or pictures,
and incorporating all four types of learning modalities.

Adapting Music Literacy

Many students enter the music classroom without the ability to immediately connect with traditional music
literacy. Music teachers can nd alternative ways to allow students to connect with literacy. These can
include:

color-coding,
using icons,
using rhythm ash cards to isolate sections in music,
incorporating movement to teach rhythm or pitches,
and utilizing technology.

Support

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12/9/2020 Engaging All Types of Learners in the Music Classroom - NAfME

When teaching rhythm, music teachers can easily di erentiate how musical notes look to allow all students
to have an entry point. Teachers can start with using a “go” and “stop” sign to represent steady beat. One
“go” sign could be equivalent to a quarter note, and one “stop” sign could be equivalent to a quarter rest.
Therefore: each “go” sign could mean one clap, and one “stop” sign would mean a sound of silence. Music
teachers can also use icons to represent a speci c command (such as clap, tap the drum, hit the claves, etc.).
Teachers can also use color-coded note values to di erentiate between di erent rhythms. For example:
quarter notes can be green and quarter rests can be red (to connect with “go” and “stop”), eighth notes can
be blue, sixteenth notes can be purple, etc. Lastly, teachers can also use traditional black-and-white notation.
By providing four di erent ways to showcase the same objective, teachers are allowing more opportunities
for students to connect with one, and eventually increase their demand.

(https://nafme.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Wagner1.png)

*These are examples of four di erentiated levels of the same piece

of music.

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content/uploads/2017/07/Wagner2.png)

*This is a musical example of teaching through

icons.

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12/9/2020 Engaging All Types of Learners in the Music Classroom - NAfME

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*This is the same musical example using color-coded

notation.

A similar approach can be used when teaching melodic literacy to students. For emerging leveled students,
they can use color-coding to represent the di erent pitches. The rainbow spectrum can be organized to
teach a melodic scale (do is red, re is orange, mi is yellow, etc.) Teachers can start with colored circles
representing a pitch, and have a student play it back on an instrument. Teachers can also begin writing
notation with actual rhythm values, but still having each pitch be colored in accordance with the rainbow
spectrum to help students di erentiate between them. Lastly, students can have the colors taken away,
moving up to traditional mu     s can also include note names or solfege syllables as an in-between step if
necessary.

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12/9/2020 Engaging All Types of Learners in the Music Classroom - NAfME

(https://nafme.org/wp-
content/uploads/2017/07/Wagner4.png)

*These are examples of four di erentiated levels of

the same piece of music.

(https://nafme.org/wp-
content/uploads/2017/07/Wagner5.png)

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12/9/2020 Engaging All Types of Learners in the Music Classroom - NAfME

*This is a musical example using color-coded notation,

also incorporating the original rhythmic colors.

In both of these examples, teachers are using a step-wise sca olded system. Some students might need to
begin on level 1 and move their way up, while other students can easily start at level 3. In both examples, you
can also include speaking and singing (rhythm syllables and solfege syllables). For some students, they might
easily connect more with speaking or singing, and this is still allowing them an entry point into the music-
making.

Adapting Active Listening

All students can be taught how to listen to music. By incorporating all four types of learning modalities,
students can easily connect with listening examples. These modalities include:

kinesthetic (movement)
tactile (touching)
auditory (listening)
visual (seeing)

Every listening example can be made to include these four types of modalities, which will increase student
success.

While visual and auditory modalities are already common in music classrooms, kinesthetic and tactile can be
included to. Movements or dances to teach the melodic contour can allow students to physically feel or trace
the melody of the music. Listening maps in which students actually touch speci c materials (ex: sandpaper to
show rough, cotton balls to show smooth), can allow students to physically feel the music and this can
transfer into other modalities.

One listening example to demonstrate this is “A Cuckoo in the Deep Woods” by Camille Saint-Saens from
“Carnival of the Animals.” Below are the steps that can be taken to allow students to experience this piece
through all modalities. The focus of this listening activity is to discriminate between the piano and clarinet
sounds.

Have students listen to music. (auditory)

Have students tiptoe around the room to the piano sounds, and point up into the imaginary trees
when they hear the cuckoo sound. (kinesthetic)
Have students follow a listening map showcasing the two di erent instruments. (visual)
Spotlight on Music (http://spotlightonmusic.macmillanmh.com/n/teachers) has a great listening
map available online.
Have students create their own listening maps and share with a friend. (tactile)

A second listening example to demonstrate this is “Aquarium,” also from “Carnival of the Animals.” The focus
of this listening example is to recognize the di erent themes in the music.

Have students listen to music. (auditory).

Have students locate the di erent themes in a teacher-created listening map. (visual)
Have students create animal movements for each theme in the music. (kinesthetic)
Have students use animal shadow puppets to show the di erent themes. (tactile)

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12/9/2020 Engaging All Types of Learners in the Music Classroom - NAfME

Teachers can include pre-made shadow puppets, or students can create new ones.

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content/uploads/2017/07/Wagner6.png)

*This is an example of a teacher-made listening map for

“Aquarium.”

Adapting Composition Activities

All students are able to compose music, and composition should be included in the music classroom at all
ages. Composition allows students to incorporate skills they have been learning, while allowing them to have
a creative outlet. As with the other activities, composition can be made available with the proper amount of
adaptation and di erentiation.

Composition allows students to incorporate skills they have been learning, while
allowing them to have a creative outlet.

By incorporating alternative types of materials and manipulatives, students can easily be motivated to
compose and showcase their composition in alternative ways. Student compositions do not need to use
traditional literacy, students can use fun types of materials to showcase their composition with the same

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results. Some examples of alternative types of materials include: construction paper, yarn, dried noodles,
colored tape, popsicle sticks, and stickers. Below are two composition activities that can be taught by just
using construction paper.

Long and Short Sounds Composition

First, create a sound bank of long and short sounds (vocal, natural, instrumental, etc).
Next, have students rip long and short pieces of construction paper.
Next, have students choose between the ripped pieces and tape it onto a larger “master score.”
Next, have students choose between the long and short sounds from the bank.
Last, have students perform their compositions just using ripped pieces of construction paper.

Composing with Colors

First, introduce how di erent colors can represent di erent pitches (easily connects with color-coding
mentioned earlier).
Next, use colored construction paper and compose melodies on the board.
Next, have students play the songs on melodic instruments with colored connections (either use
instruments that already follow the rainbow spectrum or you can tape the colors on).
Next, have students compose their own songs just using colored construction paper.
You can add more guidelines such as using pentatonic colors, or speci c pitches if you want.
You can also add rhythm by using di erent sizes of paper.

Once all types of musical activities are adapted or di erentiated, more students will nd success in the music
classroom. Alternative modi cations can still be made for speci c students or learners. Nevertheless, by
allowing everyone to have an entry point, teachers will allow for a more positive music-making experience.

Also read Brian Wagner’s past article, “Making Connections: Using Music to Make Artistic, Interdisciplinary,
and Lifelong Connections for Special Learners (https://nafme.org/using-repertoire-enhance-life-long-
learning/).”

About the author:

(https://nafme.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Brian-Wagner-photo.jpg)

NAfME member Brian Wagner-Yeung (mailto:brianwagneryeung@gmail.com) received his BA and MSED in

Music Education from CUNY Queens College. He is currently split between two schools in Brooklyn: PS 370K
and Brooklyn School of Inquiry. He has worked with students on the elementary, middle school, and high

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