Dalcroze

What a great day! I enjoyed every minute of today, and I think the children had a good time, too.

We began as usual with Reader’s Workshop. Once again, Mr. Benitez has been really wonderful helping me out with conferences so I can concentrate on helping students with HyperStudio projects. I have no idea what I’d do without him! And, speaking of HyperStudio, our students are really getting the knack of this complex and powerful program. Their paragraphs about Los Angeles area city plants and animals are also really coming along well. We’ll start on the third of the five paragraphs tomorrow.

We checked and corrected the homework. All the grades are available on the Gradebook for these. We then finished off reading the “Urban Roosts” selection and discussing it in some detail. Students had a little time before recess to start on the study questions.

After recess we did math. I’ve started adding a Problem of the Day to our math routine, and I think it should help model problem solving skills to the students. We’ve now introduced all the tables save 9 and 10, and students just need to learn and MEMORIZE these facts. Remember to help them with flash cards.

In music we practice working on both rhythm and melody. Many of our activities here are based on the work of Robert Abramson who taught for years at Julliard. He is the most important exponent of the ideas of Jean-Jacques Dalcroze, the Swiss father of the Eurhythmics movement. Dalcroze believed that music ideas did not really make sense to children – or adults – until they had been experienced in physical movements. He argued that music and dance really could not be taught separately. Abramson developed some easy and fun activities for integrating movement and music. The students are having a great time with these. Today we did a particularly fun activity for feeling beat and measure by passing small balls in a group. It was a blast!

Speaking of good times, we had fun doing our ball kicking relays after lunch. It’s amazing to see how they are developing coordination as we do these kinds of activities. Thanks to all the parents who contributed to getting us more PE equipment. It’s much appreciated!

Homework may again seem heavy tonight, but students had a good bit of time to get started on all the assignments.

Homework:  (1) Study spelling. (2) Complete study questions on Urban Roosts. (3) Complete Connect Concepts, Science, page A110. (4) Do "Draw a Picture," Math, p 155 (5) Do "Practice the Facts," pp 157-158, #2-64 (answers only).