This post is part of a series called Your Questions Answered that highlights questions from readers just like you. If you have a question you would like to submit, you can do so here.
Do you have a certain age range that you have created your Piano Pantry lab items for? Do you think 2nd graders would do fine watching the videos (like the 1st Halloween one that is 10 minutes)?
I only had one student today so I got to hear her feedback on the two videos of the organ and the wine glasses from page 1 of your Halloween videos. It was fun to see how excited she was about it!
Keep creating wonderful materials to help us teach our students. Love all that you do!
-LS
Hi, L!
I’m so glad to hear your student was enjoying the Halloween lab!
As far as the age range, lab time can definitely be trickier with students younger than 3rd grade. As I’m sure you have experienced, they have a hard time working on their own without you helping with every step. So, yes, most of the labs I have available work better for mid-elementary students or older.
That being said, sometimes it can depend on the student. I’ve had 1st or 2nd graders do better than 3rd graders on their own!
My lab time for younger students is always shorter than most – 15 minutes is usually enough for them.
I still use many of my lab resources – like the Halloween video series you mentioned – but pick and choose which ones to assign. Shorter ones under 5 minutes or ones that are visually appealing, like the animated version of Danse Macabre by Saint-Saëns work nicely.
In instances like this, rather than simply having them watch, I always give them a blank notebook listening and ask them to color what they hear.
Several of the videos from Set 1 of the Music Theory video series are also suitable for younger students’ lab time.
Another thing I sometimes do with young students is listen to enriching music while coloring in their own art books. Check out more details in these posts:
Friday Finds: Productivity Tools and Simple Songs
Inspiring Creativity with Student Art Books
Other programs I’ve used in the past with success during lab time for young students include:
Sproutbeat (which just went through an awesome update, merging their worksheets and games apps!)
Music Learning Lab Pro
Ningenius
My Orchestra App from Naxos
Beanie’s Musical Instruments
TuneTrain
Pitch Painter
Rhythm Swing
I hope this helps!
~Amy
P.S. If you would like to get a closer look into how I run my labs, you might check out the Music Labs Made Easy ebook!
This 15-page eBook is chock full of all kinds of “pro tips.”
We’ll talk about scheduling, set-up, and organizing labs.
Laid out in an easy-to-read format, this book will answer all your questions regarding music lab time!
P.S.S.
In celebration of the 5-year anniversary of Piano Pantry, everything in the shop (including the eBook!) is 15% off through the end of March 2021.
Visit the Piano Pantry Shop
