Assessing Students who have
Differing Needs in the Elementary
General Music Classroom.
Kennedy Center
2015
Alice M. Hammel
James Madison University
How is my child doing in
music?
 We often provide behavioral or general information to
that question.
 Individualized feedback through multiple strands of
learning is sometimes difficult when we have hundreds
of young students to teach.
Students who need individualized
learning
 Some students are months or years behind others in
their general music class
 Other students are months or years ahead of others in
their general music class
The benefits of winding
instruction
 Winding back
 Winding forward
 Multiple means and access points
Adaptations and
Accommodations
 Size
 Color
 Pacing
 Modality
Modifications
 Winding forward or backward to find the specific step
within a sequence that meets the current need of the
student.
 Assessing students where they are in the sequence,
rather than at the central objective or goal for the
majority of the students.
Finding the place within the
sequence
 Sometimes on an incremental level
 May be different and dependent upon the specific day
or student profile
 Sensory
 Behavioral
 Cognitive
 Communication
 Physical
Modifying in the Classroom
 Winding back
 Winding forward
 Keeping all plates spinning 
Elementary Rhythm
Sequence
 Often includes quarter, paired eighth, sixteenth notes,
and equivalent rests.
 How do we and how have you used?




Size
Color
Pacing
Modality
Rhythm Activities
 Bate Bate
 Rhythm Ladder
 Rhythm Go Round
 Rhythm Flash Cards (fly swatter)
 Find Your Family
 Bee Bee Bumblebee (popsicle differentiation)
 Rhythm Rondo
Elementary School Rhythm
Reading Sequence Chart
Melody Activities
 Doggie Doggie
 Tone Ladder
 Beach Ball
 Melody Flashcards (fly swatter)
 Tone Set
 Finger Staff
 Sol Mi
 Duke’s Place
First Grade Melodic
Sequence
Non-modified or
adapted
curricular goals
Students will
decode quarter
eighth patterns
from chants that
are well-known to
them
Modified
curricular goals
Adapted
curricular goals
Student will tap
the rhythm with
words to chants
that are wellknown to him
Student will derive
quarter eighth
patterns using
popsicle sticks
given as much
time as necessary
First Grade Melodic
Sequence
Non-modified or
adapted
curricular goals
Students will
apply new rhythm
syllables to chants
well-known to
them
Modified
curricular goals
Adapted
curricular goals
Student will chant
rhythms that
contain
quarter/eighth
with other
students
Student will chant
using rhythm
syllables at a
tempo of his
choosing
First Grade Melodic
Sequence
Non-modified or
adapted
curricular goals
Students will sing
sol-mi patterns
using neutral
syllables
Modified
curricular goals
Adapted
curricular goals
Student will
approximate
higher and lower
pitches following
individual prompt
by teachers
Student will sing
sol-mi patterns
using neutral
syllables at a
tempo of his
choosing
First Grade Melodic
Sequence
Non-modified or
adapted
curricular goals
Students will
show higher and
lower with their
hands and with
the use of icons
Modified
curricular goals
Adapted
curricular goals
Student will show
higher and lower
through any
modality he
prefers
Student will
demonstrate
higher and lower
using icons and/or
body motions
First Grade Melodic
Sequence
Non-modified or
adapted
curricular goals
Students will
discover the two
pitches (sol and
mi) and their
similarities as
noted in several
folk songs wellknown to them
Modified
curricular goals
Adapted
curricular goals
Students will sing
folk songs that
contain sol-mi
with other
students
Student will
discover sol-mi in
at least one folk
song well-known
to him
First Grade Melodic
Sequence
Non-modified or Modified
adapted
curricular goals
curricular goals
Students will
apply new solfege
syllables to chants
well-known to
them
Adapted
curricular goals
Student will apply
new solfege
syllables to at
least one chant
well-known to him
Later melodic sequence ideas
 Let us Chase the Squirrel
 Great Big House in New Orleans
Tracking progress through
time
Student
name
Sings a
variety of do
pentatonic
songs
Sings a
variety of do
pentatonic
songs in
solfege
Reads a
variety of do
pentatonic
songs in
solfege, from
various staff
placements
X
Jonathon
X
X
Maribeth
X
X
X
Isaiah
X
X
X
Anibel
X
X
Quin
X
Tanner
X
X
X
Hsui-Hui
X
X
X
Decodes
solfege of
known songs
and patterns
that include
do, re, mi, sol,
and la
X
Uses solfege
(do, re, mi,
sol, and la)
abstractly, in
tone ladders
and tone sets
X
X
Activities to prepare various tonal
centers
 Y Toop D’rom
 Now All the Woods are Waking
 Ah Poor Bird (bum)
Identification of Scale Type
Steps to identifying scale type
Sing a variety of songs and name them as a known scale type or “other”. Sing the resting
tone.
Sing a selected song in the new scale type with text.
Sing the song in solfege.
Sing and identify the resting tone in solfege.
Sing and list all the pitches used in the song as a tone set; the teacher writes the pitches from
lowest to highest, leaving a space for any missing solfege. Circle the resting tone in the tone
set.
Count the number of different solfege pitches used.
Name the scale, with resting tone first, then the number of different solfege pitches (bi = 2
pitches, tri = 3 pitches, tetra = 4 pitches, penta = 5 pitches, hexa = 6 pitches). Tonic scales do
not include fa; chordal scales include fa.
Date of mastery
Activities to encourage part
singing
 Skip to my Lou
 Now All the Woods are Waking
 Ah Poor Bird
 Jubilate Deo
Part Singing
Curricular goal
Student sings the text in a large group while the teacher sings the resting tone as a pulse with
text.
Student sings the resting tone as a pulse with text in a large group while the teacher sings the
text.
Student sings the text in a small group while the teacher sings the resting tone as a pulse
with text.
Student sings the resting tone as a pulse with text in a small group while the teacher sings
the text.
Student sings the resting tone as a pulse in solo with text while another student sings the
text.
Student sings the text while another student sings the resting tone as a pulse with text.
Date of mastery
Part work activities
 Chants
 My Mother, Your Mother
 Bee Bee Bumble Bee/Bate Bate
Songs
 Hot Cross Buns/Lucy Locket
 Let us Chase the Squirrel/Great Big House
Part singing progress through
time
Activity (i.e.
canon,
rhythmic
ostinato or
partner songs)
Jonah
Becca
Simon
Jaidyn
Sings song
without help
Sings the song
while another
part occurs
(i.e. ostinato,
drone, canon)
Describes and
identifies the
other part
Performs the
other part
Performs the
other part
while the song
occurs
Performs the
song and the
other part
simultaneously
(i.e.
tapping/playing
the ostinato,
hand signing in
canon)
Charting Student Learning
Objectives
 Objective: The students will solfege unfamiliar patterns
using only notes in the diatonic major scale (steps-no
skips), and rhythms that include quarter, paired eighth,
and half notes, and equivalent rests.
Pitch Matching Steps
Pitch Matching
Sing major scale on neutral
syllables, ascending
☐
Sing major scale on neutral
syllables, descending
☐
Sing major scale with
solfege, ascending
Sing major scale with
solfege, descending
☐
Sing pitches on a staff with
solfege
Find and sing “do” using a
☐
☐
☐
Reading Steps
Reading
Recognize staff
☐
Recognize treble and bass clefs
☐
Understand line and space notes
☐
Name the line in both clefs
☐
Name the space in both clefs
☐
Identify notes on lines and spaces in
both clefs
☐
Recognize rhythms: half, quarter,
eighth, and equivalent rests
☐
Recognize bar lines and measures
☐
Recognize time signatures 2/4, 3/4
and 4/4
☐
Rhythm Readiness Steps
Rhythm Readiness
Maintain steady beat
☐
Chant and clap
☐
Perform half notes and rests
☐
Perform quarter notes and rests
☐
Perform paired eighth notes
☐
Honoring the Individual
 Pacing during class
 Time outside of class
 Materials and music that fit developmental needs
 Placing the students at the center of everything you do
at school
The Fable