Pitch Year 1 Notations - Starlight

Starlight is a delightful musical activity aimed at Year 1 students, designed to teach them about rhythm and melody through a simple and engaging song. The lyrics of the song, "Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight," are accompanied by a series of musical notations that guide the children in singing and tapping the rhythm. The activity involves passing around a star, such as a Christmas decoration, while the children sing and keep time to the pulse of the music. The game ends with the child holding the star sharing their wish with the group, adding an element of anticipation and personal expression to the exercise.

The Starlight activity incorporates a variety of musical techniques to enhance the children's learning experience. These include singing while tapping the pulse, clapping the rhythm, and incorporating body actions where different notes are associated with tapping different parts of the body, like shoulders for G (So), knees for E (Mi), and head for A (La). The song can also be performed in a canon, with a second group starting at the second bar. Additionally, children can practice singing to rhythm names and using sol-fa with hand signs. For a more instrumental approach, students can play the pulse, rhythm, or melody on tuned instruments using the notes G, E, and A, and even attempt playing the melody in a canon. While these 11 activities are specifically mentioned, the versatility of 'Starlight' allows for many more possibilities in exploring musical concepts with young learners.