Grade 1 & Grade 1/2

Hello Parents,

Ms. Vachon is still ill this week.  Mr. Townsend will be filling in for her and continuing on with the same lesson plans.

We are including your homework and information for the week below, earlier than normal.  We ask that you add extra days of work between Tuesday and Thursday in addition to your usual routine of Friday through Monday this week in order to help maintain momentum.  I will be on site tomorrow, and likely Thursday, as well, to offer assistance, and to update you if necessary.

What we are doing this week

Explore intonation and tuning of scales in arpeggios both in unison and in canon. Introduced A section of Lightly Row. Learned the notes of the A major arpeggio.
Each other playing the scales in canon.

What did we listen to or watch, that you can watch at home?

Watched live examples of Lightly Row.  Click to watch at home (strongly recommended as a parent-student activity).

What work is to be done this weekend

Try to begin memorizing all of the scale work and arpeggios. Please keep practicing with metronome. Make sure focus is maintained through technical  work.  Try to play with your child if you have a piano or other musical instrument or if not trying singing the scale with your child. Try to also sing along to Lightly Row. Your participation is crucial in your child’s musical learning experience.

What are we doing next week?

Introducing Lightly Row B section. Running through all arpeggios and scale memorized. Aiming for posture and ow coordination in Mary.

How much time should your student be practicing each day?

A solid and focused 20 minutes of practice should be encouraged.

How can you help your child?

Please ensure that your child has all necessary equipment to optimize your child’s learning experience. Please make sure you participate with your child in their learning experience either by singing or playing along with your child.

Additionally, be sure to ask about music.  What do they like?  What do you like?  Have you shared your favourites with them?  Watched videos together?  Sharing your musical interests is fundamental to encouraging theirs.  The only thing we usually recommend using discretion with is Gangster Rap, understandably.

Your child’s practice environment – is it good?

It is important that you give your child the environment they need to practice.  Do they have a space that is quiet, and time that is uninterrupted?  Are they away from screens and siblings?  Setting up a dedicated space – even a corner – for music helps bring structure and focus to your child, and is a subtle, but vital way to increase the pace at which they refine their skills.

Are you using the Homework Helper?

Click here to download the homework helper.  This sheet is designed to teach accountability, honesty, and self-evaluation without being overly specific to the class-based work.  You may think that this is just another “standard” worksheet used in classrooms, but we have developed this based on our experience.  There are very few, if any subjects that turn the focus back on the student to get them to ask themselves about how they are doing.

By using this worksheet, and doing it with them (particularly in Grades 1-3), you can lay some excellent foundations for self-evaluation in work.  This skill will be essential in professional life, and one of the many that can help your children get ahead in the future.  Your involvement and guidance helps your children to learn and get good guidance on self-evaluation and focus on the quality of work done.

These worksheets are required every weekend now, and should be given to Ms. Vachon on Tuesdays.
B.Kerekes
Director