Integrating Music and Literacy: Applying Invented Music Notation to Support Prosody and Reading Fluency

This article builds on evidence-based teaching strategies to support a learning experience for third-grade students that integrates language and music. In the language-learning field, “prosody” refers to changes in volume, rhythm, and pitch that add expression and meaning when reading text aloud. When students incorporate prosodic elements into reading, their comprehension of the text is enhanced. In the field of music learning, invented notation allows young music learners to bypass the complexity of traditional notation to authentically express music ideas in a way that is accessible to peers, parents, and teachers. The learning experience described invites learners to use invented notation to represent music nuances within spoken language (prosody). Learners develop their capacity to expressively read aloud while broadening their understanding of composing and the music elements of volume, rhythm, and pitch. An illustrative sample lesson is provided.

Creative Thinking in Music: Student-Centered Strategies for Implementing Exploration Into the Music Classroom

Research suggests that exploratory experiences in the music classroom are a crucial developmental stage as students begin making the kinds of decisions required of them during composition and improvisation. The aims of this article are to (1) articulate a rationale for exploratory learning experiences in the music classroom and (2) outline practical strategies for using exploration as a foundation for compositional and improvisational development. Drawing on the research of Peter Webster, John Kratus, and Maud Hickey, this article outlines group and individual strategies for setting up a listening walk, introducing students to invented notation, scaffolding exploratory learning experiences in the classroom, and provides resources for extending these lessons into composition and improvisation instruction. Embedding exploration into the music classroom empowers students to develop the mental flexibility, disposition, and skills needed for improvising and composing.