make music: do math!
DESCRIPTION
by Christina Foran ECMMA Southeast Regional Conference June 24-25, 2011TRANSCRIPT
ECMMA 2011 Southeast Regional Conference
Math In Real Life: http://mathirl.blogspot.com/
Music
• Rhythm
• Tempo
• Pitch
• Volume
Math
• Counting
• Patterns
• Opposites
• Sorting
* Khalsa, Arjan (2011). Music and math: Exploring fractions in music. Video retrieved from http://www.keypress.com/x26707.xml
Review research about music and math. Identify math skills that children learn
during the early years. Explore ways music and math are being
used in classrooms. Examine common music and movement
activities to find the math connection.
Spacial-temporal Reasoning when you manipulate visual images in your mind and draw
conclusions or solve problems about them. ▪ playing chess
▪ construction and archetecture
▪ creating dress designs
▪ solving math problems
▪ writing or performing music.
Making connections between neural pathways▪ “…pre-wired connections to spatial thinking in the brain are
triggered by active engagement with traditional music instruction, regardless of the intent of the music teacher.” - Larry Scripp, from the Research Center for Learning Through Music
(Kells )
Rauscher & Shaw 1994: 3-year-olds who received music lessons showed
improvement in spacial-temporal reasoning.
1998: Preschoolers who took piano lessons for sixth months improved more than children who received computer lessons.
Gene and Kamille Geist (2007) Improved “math anxiety” in parents and children by
teaching songs about color patterns in Head Start programs in Ohio
(Sawyers and Hutson-Brandhagen, 2004; Sottosanti, 2010)
Kindermusik
Music Math & Me
El Dorado Hills, CA
Moving through Math
Marcia Dafthttp://youtu.be/fLPlKKnyZtY
MIND Research Institute developed a math and music computer program that the Viejas band of Indians funded in kindergarten classes in Alpine, CA.
Annual Drumming Performance: Alvord Elementary School, Santa Fe, New Mexico
NUMBER AND OPERATIONS Counting One-to-one correspondence Keeping track while counting Quantity Change Operation Comparison Recognizing and writing numerals
PATTERNS, FUNCTION, AND ALGEBRA Repeating patterns Growing patterns Finding, copying, extending, and creating patterns Experiencing patterns in various modalities Use of symbols Making generalizations about number properties Describing change
GEOMETRY AND SPATIAL SENSE Shape Space Transformations
MEASUREMENT Comparing and ordering Length and area Capacity and volume Weight Time Temperature Conservation Transitive reasoning Measurement processes
DATA ANALYSIS AND PROBABILITY Posing questions and gathering data Sorting and classifying Scholastic.com Book Wizard Student Activities Lesson
Plans Teacher Store Organizing data Representing data with concrete objects, pictures, and
graphs Describing and comparing Acquiring concepts and language of probability
Develop mathematical thinking informallythrough experiences
“Mathematics learning should build on children's curiosity and enthusiasm and should grow naturally from their experiences.”
“In the preschool years, quality learning is often incidental and informal. This does not mean unplanned or unsystematic. The most powerful mathematics learning for young children is seldom acquired sitting down in a group lesson.”
(NCTM, 1999)
Children’s Math Development Chart (Ages 0-6)Development of Math Concepts Chart (Ages 3-5)
Math needs to be integrated with songs. Children need to understand notation,
rhythm, and explore their relationships. Children need to have daily opportunities for
aesthetic expressions and apreciation through music
Children need to learn from self-directed problem solving and experimentation.
(Edelson & Johnson, 2003)
“This Old Man” matching and comparing (through changes in
pitch, volume, and rhythm)
patterning and sequencing (through repetitions of melodies, rhythms, and lyrics);
counting and addition (identifying cardinal numbers and adding one more with each verse).
When you add moving to the beat, you have created an entire mind/body package of learning rolled into one song!
(Church, 2001)
One-to-one correspondence “Learner Say & Do” - Children say the words that define their actions
(Say) and then match the movement to the words (Do). Example: “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes”
Steady beat In beat activities, children experience the rhythms of the words or
songs while patting, tapping, or walking to the steady beat, thus matching their pats or steps one to one with the beat.
Steady beats from birth: patting, rocking, humming According to movement and music educator Phyllis Weikart, steady
beat activities are an important way for children to form cognitive-motor links, connections between children’s thinking and their physical abilities.
(Sawyers & Hutson-Brandhagen, 2004)
Clap the syllables in each child’s name
“Change the variable”
snap, stomp, jump
add arm movements,
use rhythm instruments
Concepts of “equal,” “more,” and “less.”
Who has the same number of claps?
Who has more? Who has less?
(Edelson & Johnson, 2003)
Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers “Numbers are symbols that represent "how many" of
something... Too often we begin working with children on numerals before teaching them what the number symbols mean.” – Ellen Booth Church
“Five Green and Speckled Frogs” Does the original version deal with cardinal or ordinal numbers?
How can we modify the song to emphasize order?
(Edelson & Johnson, 2003)
High - low More - less Adding / subtracting
Gardiner is one researcher who explicitly explores more specific early math concepts that tie to music, including a “pitch line” similar to a number line.
(Kells)
High – low Fast – slow Loud – quiet
“The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”
Order instruments and “found sounds”▪ bubble wrap; plastic bags; pans, bowls, and other
kitchen implements; and plastic bottles filled with rice, beans, or rocks.
From loudest to quietest
From highest to lowest
From big to small
Classify instruments based on their use.
(Edelson & Johnson, 2003)
Math: Even and odd numbers; shape patterns Music: melodies, refrains, rhythms Patterning skills:
Analyze the pattern to figure out the rule
Communicate the rule in words
Predict what will come next in the pattern
Translate the pattern (express the same pattern through a different medium)
(Edelson & Johnson, 2003)
Exploring Rhythm
Using the body and everyday objects
Children begin by “echoing” the teacher’s rhythms.
Compare and contrast different rhythms:
▪ What is the difference between clapping like this (fast beats the equivalent of half notes) and clapping like this (steady beats the equivalent of whole notes)?
▪ Can you see the relationship of the fast beats to the slower beats?
(SEDL, 1998)
Building Patterns
Make and represent patterns together.
Let the children arrange their own pattern.
See if the children can “read” and “play” each other’s patterns.
(SEDL, 1998; Edelson & Johnson, 2003)
Music
• Rhythm
• Tempo
• Pitch
• Volume
Math
• Counting
• Patterns
• Opposites
• Sorting
“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but more
importantly music...for in the patterns of music and all the arts are the keys to learning.”
Plato, 410 B.C.
Math In Real Life: http://mathirl.blogspot.com/
Church, Ellen Booth (2001). The math in music & movement. Early Childhood Today, (January). Retrieved from http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3745951
Edelson, R. Jill & Johnson, Gretchin (2003). Music makes math meaningful. Childhood Education, 80(2).
Kells, Deanne. The impact of music on mathematics achievement. Retrieved from http://www.kindermusik.com/about/development.aspx
NCTM (1999). Math principles & standards: Grades PreK-2. Early Childhood Today (October). Retrieved from http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3745665
Sawyers, Karen & Hutson-Brandhagen (2004). Music and Math: How Do We Make the Connection for Preschoolers? Child Care Information Exchange, (July/August). Retrieved from http://www.childcareexchange.com/library/5015846.pdf
SEDL (1998). Teaching Math with Music. Classroom Compus, 4(2). Retrieved from http://www.sedl.org/scimath/compass/v04n02/welcome.html
Sottosanti, Karen (2010, April 2). Playing the numbers: Music beats math anxiety, studies find. Retrieved from http://www.ohio.edu/research/communications/math.cfm