News & Views Monday, March 18, 2024

Hear It, Read It, Write It! Monday, June 20, 2016

recommended by Jen Sper, School Choral and Classroom Music Specialist

Teaching dictation in the ensemble classroom can feel like a drag – do I have time for this?!? I’m already teaching sight-reading – isn’t that good enough?!? You DO have time (or you can MAKE the time), and it IS important! Here’s a great resource to help:

Hear It, Read It, Write It! by Dave & Jean Perry
Learning to read music is much like learning a language. There are three basic elements: listening, reading, and writing. This well organized book provides step-by-step sequential lessons for developing these skills. Rhythm, note, and interval concepts are taught in the following way: first, hear and echo a short musical example; second, read and perform a notated exercise; and third, notate musical phrases as demonstrated on the CD. Worksheet-style student pages are included as reproducible PDFs. Ten-minute activities for teaching or assessment, recommended for fourth through ninth grade ensembles or music classes.

About the Author:
Jen Sper has been with Stanton’s since 2006. A former middle school and high school choral director, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, she also enjoys good food, running (to counteract the good food…) and the Muppets.


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