Charnice Frazier

November 5, 2014
Choral Music Education
Reading and Rhythm: Binding Language Arts and Music in an Academic Notebook
Abstract
The use of an academic notebook in an elementary music classroom is an effective way of
integrating language arts into music instruction while helping students to reflect and think
critically about music. Academic notebooks are student-created tools that help organize and
track learning while students gain conceptual knowledge. The notebooks are designed to
foster discussion, encourage reading and writing strategy development, and provide
application

activities

to

further

strengthen

the

learning

of music concepts.

Combining music instruction with language arts reinforces integration of curriculum areas
while providing academic support for a liberal arts program by enhancing its connection to
the teaching and learning of literacy.
Important Points

The students create academic notebooks and they organize and track learning in the
different content areas.

Develop categories or headings for the different sections of the academic notebook.
Try and keep the headings broad, it will allow students to have more flexibility.

While students are in the listening portion encourage them to visualize their
pictures that capture their interpretation of the material.

Allow students to be able to take home the notebooks to share with the parents.

Discussion Questions
1. After reading this article, brainstorm ideas of how to incorporate this
academic notebook in every classroom. Which subjects were easier? Which
subjects proved to be more difficult?

2. The arts can be a wonderful tool to help further education in other content
areas. Besides the academic notebooks, what are other resources that can be
used to incorporate the arts in the other subjects areas.