Presents over 30 activities designed to introduce elementary school children to opera. Also provides a synopsis of and student activities for three specific operas ("Hansel and Gretel,""The Mikado,""Aida") and a short article about opera star Luciano Pavarotti. (SJL)

Notes that music education is a vital part of the education of all children at Bonita Elementary School in Crows Landing, California. Discusses how the school staff works together to create a new awareness amongst the students and in the community that will heighten awareness, expand knowledge, and create feelings of appreciation for many types of…

Ways of using music in school are discussed. (CK)

Asserting that children are particularly open to novelty in music, the author analyzes four examples of twentieth-century avante-garde music and suggests how they can be presented in a children's music class. (SJL)

Performance preferences and students' ideas of "correct" performance were affected by appropriate and inappropriate models. There was a slight difference between boys and girls and an overall preference for fast/loud music over slow/soft music. Correlations between verbal and behavioral preference indications were low but positive. (Author/SJL)

A test of musical achievement, the central criterion of which was musical sensitivity as evidenced by the ability to make aesthetic judgments, was empirically validated and field-tested upon elementary school children in the Manhattanville Music Curriculum Program as well as in the California Music Educators Statewide Music Testing Program. The…

Using 411 fourth- through sixth-grade students, this study found a relationship between classroom music attitudes and grade level, gender, and socioeconomic level. Results also showed little relationship between classroom music attitudes and musical aptitude. (JDH)

Described is a puppetry project which incorporates learning music selection, introducing music in writing activities, learning how music tells a story, learning about sound effects and theme music, and music appreciation. Some musical resources are included. (KC)

Discusses the importance of music for brain development, pleasure, retention and motivation, and problem solving and critical thinking. Describes methods for including music in education that are related to music acquisition. Suggests classroom music activities and notes the importance of making instruments available, displaying written music, and…

A series of activities are described to introduce students to musical instruments. Children learn about woodwind, string, percussion, and brass instruments through observation of musicians, hands-on experiences, and recordings. Sample recordings and a bibliography are listed. (DF)

Elementary teachers can use music as the springboard for across-the-curriculum activities. The article presents strategies for introducing elementary students to music and integrating the arts into other subjects. It also explains how to select the right pieces and suggests various helpful products for integrating music into the curriculum. (SM)

Reports on a study of children's preferences between slow and fast tempo classical music excerpts. Finds that students preferred music with a slow tempo. Concludes that repetition had a positive effect on children's preferences. (CFR)

Intended for use by elementary teachers, this publication contains the music for ten songs from the Luba in the Kasai and Shaba regions of Zaire. The songs provide a means for young people to enjoy and to appreciate the musical heritage of Africa as a part of their more general understanding of music from around the world. The songs included are…

A unified teaching method that integrates literature with musical concepts, terms, and songs is discussed in this paper. Included are a description of the application of musical concepts and terms to children's literature and storytelling; a discussion of rhythm, repetition, and rhyme as each relates to children; a checklist to use in song…

Focuses on the desirability of teaching children how to read notation and to develop in them the skill of translating symbols into music. Describes the usefulness of the Kodaly method of teaching music reading. (SS)