Teaching Recorder To Primary Beginners...., advice and tips needed please! Options

[aspiringmusicteacher]

Hi everyone!

I have my first school position teaching Recorder to 2 groups of 15 children, one group being Reception/KS1 (don't get me started on teaching Reception children recorder, I'm against it personally as I don't think they have the dexterity, but there are only 4 out of the 15), and another group being KS2.

I'm looking through all the tutor books I have.... Recorder from the Beginning, Recorder Magic, Abracadabra.... and perhaps it's because I'm too afraid to develop my own ideas, but I've suddenly frozen up and don't know what to do! I keep asking myself the same old questions... should I use 2 different tutor books according to the 2 different age groups, perhaps Recorder Magic for the yong'uns and Recorder from the Beginning for the older ones? Should I write teaching plans in advance? How on earth do I start?

I think it's because I'm panicking, but any advice on how to approach the first couple of lessons, no matter how small, would be much appreciated. I've never taught a large group before and I'd really appreciate some guidance!

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[Bagpuss]

I start with rhythm games introducing crotchet, quaver & crotchet rest with rhythm names and actions rather than using the scary proper names. I have large rhythm cards for these games and these rhythms cover you for the first 2 tunes in Recorder Magic.

Then I introduce B (playing, not reading off the stave yet) and we play an echo game - you play a rhythm on B (VERY simple) and get each child to copy it. This way you will suss instantly which children naturally tongue and those that do not. Then you can look at B on the stave - the first tune in Recorder Magic is just on B, saying and doing the actions for the rhythm first, one line at a time. I agree re the dexterity issues of such young kids - personally I prefer to start at Year 2.

Finally I start some singing games - based on the descending minor third soh & mi. I sing the song with words then they copy, then in solfa, then singing rhythm names. Within a couple of weeks you can then PLAY that tune on C & A without the complications of reading notes off the stave.

Do drop me a PM if I can help anymore - this isn't the best explanation of how Bag goes about it all...

...good luck,

Bag x