First Grade Music Curriculum Germantown Academy

The music program in first grade continues to review and build upon the foundations laid in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. These building blocks include singing in tune, feeling and understanding beat and rhythm, and recognizing the musical comparatives of pitch (high and low), tempo (fast and slow), dynamics (loud and soft) and form (same and different). The children continue to sing both independently and as a group, and work on musical listening and cooperation. In addition, the children begin to read and write simple rhythms and melodic phrases. New folk songs, singing games and folk dances from a variety of cultures are added to their repertoire. Classroom instruments, recorded examples and related visual materials support and enrich the curriculum.

The goal in first grade music class is to continue to foster a love of music while also teaching the basics of reading and writing in the musical language.

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Each class has music with a specialist for 20 minutes four days a week, and the entire first grade meets one day a week for 30 minutes. The students perform in a variety of venues throughout the year; at a retirement center, in the Winter Program, for Grandparents' Day, for the First Grade Play, as well as other Lower School assemblies.

Lower School Music Department