Families Level: Early Grades - Listening, appraising & movement

Rock-a-Bye Maybe (tempo)

This little baby will not go to sleep! First let the children listen to the music and ask them if they recognise any of the tunes. Then they children move around the room, changing their speed as the speed of the music changes. Ask the children why they think the music is called Rock-a-Bye-Maybe? Encourage them to use describing words such as fast, slow, loud, quiet, smooth, jumpy.

Berceuse from Dolly Suite by Faure (mood & character in dynamics & tempo)

The title of this music is Berceuse, which is the French word for lullaby. It's played here as a piano duet by brothers, Lucas and Arthur Jussen. The children each stand in a hoop, which is their 'baby's cradle', and make expressive movements to the music using their floaty scarf. They should move very quietly and not too quickly to the music. You can buy a set of different colored dance scarves very cheaply or, if you cut up a large piece of chiffon, each strip makes a floaty scarf.

Lullaby Corner (dynamics, tempo)

Put out a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments in the music corner. In small groups, the children work in pairs, taking turns to make Lullaby sounds that are quiet and sleepy and Wake Up! sounds that are louder and quicker. They might then show the other children in the group, who guess whether the sound is Lullaby or Wake Up!