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Engaging All Types of Learners in the Music

Classroom
Tools and Techniques to Reach Different Types of Learners in the
Music Classroom
By NAfME Member Brian Wagner-Yeung

Music teachers often have a difficult job creating exciting and innovative activities for students.
These activities can include: singing songs, listening to musical examples, learning to play
different types of instruments, learning to read music, incorporating folk dances, composing,
and being exposed to historical and multicultural music.

Nevertheless, not every student who enters the music room learns in the same way, especially
special learners. Music teachers can easily change the way instruction is presented to allow all
students to have an entry point into the musical activities. Three key words that are used when
discussing special learners include: adaptation, modification, and accommodation. In
addition, differentiation can be incorporated into this group as well.

As mentioned, music teachers can easily change (or adapt) the way instruction is presented to
allow all students to have an entry point into the musical activities. Some examples of adapted
instruction can include:

• color-coding,
• using non-traditional materials,
• using icons or pictures,
• and incorporating all four types of learning modalities.

Adapting Music Literacy

Many students enter the music classroom without the ability to immediately connect with
traditional music literacy. Music teachers can find alternative ways to allow students to connect
with literacy. These can include:

• color-coding,
• using icons,
• using rhythm flash cards to isolate sections in music,
 • incorporating movement to teach rhythm or pitches,
• and utilizing technology.

When teaching rhythm, music teachers can easily differentiate how musical notes look to allow
all students to have an entry point. Teachers can start with using a “go” and “stop” sign to
represent steady beat. One “go” sign could be equivalent to a quarter note, and one “stop” sign
could be equivalent to a quarter rest. Therefore: each “go” sign could mean one clap, and one
“stop” sign would mean a sound of silence. Music teachers can also use icons to represent a
specific command (such as clap, tap the drum, hit the claves, etc.). Teachers can also use color-
coded note values to differentiate between different rhythms. For example: quarter notes can
be green and quarter rests can be red (to connect with “go” and “stop”), eighth notes can be
blue, sixteenth notes can be purple, etc. Lastly, teachers can also use traditional black-and-
white notation. By providing four different ways to showcase the same objective, teachers are
allowing more opportunities for students to connect with one, and eventually increase their
demand.

*These are examples of

four differentiated levels of the same piece of music.

*This is a musical example of teaching

through icons.
 *This is the same musical example using
color-coded notation.

A similar approach can be used when teaching melodic literacy to students. For emerging
leveled students, they can use color-coding to represent the different pitches. The rainbow
spectrum can be organized to teach a melodic scale (do is red, re is orange, mi is yellow, etc.)
Teachers can start with colored circles representing a pitch, and have a student play it back on
an instrument. Teachers can also begin writing notation with actual rhythm values, but still
having each pitch be colored in accordance with the rainbow spectrum to help students
differentiate between them. Lastly, students can have the colors taken away, moving up to
traditional mu s can also include note names or solfege syllables as an in-between step if
necessary.
 *These are examples of four
differentiated levels of the same piece of music.
 *This is a musical example using
color-coded notation, also incorporating the original rhythmic colors.

In both of these examples, teachers are using a step-wise scaffolded system. Some students
might need to begin on level 1 and move their way up, while other students can easily start at
level 3. In both examples, you can also include speaking and singing (rhythm syllables and
solfege syllables). For some students, they might easily connect more with speaking or singing,
and this is still allowing them an entry point into the music-making.

Adapting Active Listening

All students can be taught how to listen to music. By incorporating all four types of learning
modalities, students can easily connect with listening examples. These modalities include:

• kinesthetic (movement)
• tactile (touching)
• auditory (listening)
• visual (seeing)

Every listening example can be made to include these four types of modalities, which will
increase student success.
While visual and auditory modalities are already common in music classrooms, kinesthetic and
tactile can be included to. Movements or dances to teach the melodic contour can allow
students to physically feel or trace the melody of the music. Listening maps in which students
actually touch specific materials (ex: sandpaper to show rough, cotton balls to show smooth),
can allow students to physically feel the music and this can transfer into other modalities.

One listening example to demonstrate this is “A Cuckoo in the Deep Woods” by Camille Saint-
Saens from “Carnival of the Animals.” Below are the steps that can be taken to allow students to
experience this piece through all modalities. The focus of this listening activity is to discriminate
between the piano and clarinet sounds.

• Have students listen to music. (auditory)

• Have students tiptoe around the room to the piano sounds, and point up into the
imaginary trees when they hear the cuckoo sound. (kinesthetic)
• Have students follow a listening map showcasing the two different instruments. (visual)
o Spotlight on Music has a great listening map available online.
• Have students create their own listening maps and share with a friend. (tactile)

A second listening example to demonstrate this is “Aquarium,” also from “Carnival of the
Animals.” The focus of this listening example is to recognize the different themes in the music.

• Have students listen to music. (auditory).

• Have students locate the different themes in a teacher-created listening map. (visual)
• Have students create animal movements for each theme in the music. (kinesthetic)
• Have students use animal shadow puppets to show the different themes. (tactile)
o Teachers can include pre-made shadow puppets, or students can create new
ones.
 *This is an example of a teacher-
made listening map for “Aquarium.”

Adapting Composition Activities

All students are able to compose music, and composition should be included in the music
classroom at all ages. Composition allows students to incorporate skills they have been
learning, while allowing them to have a creative outlet. As with the other activities, composition
can be made available with the proper amount of adaptation and differentiation.

Composition allows students to incorporate skills they have been learning, while
allowing them to have a creative outlet.

By incorporating alternative types of materials and manipulatives, students can easily be

motivated to compose and showcase their composition in alternative ways. Student
compositions do not need to use traditional literacy, students can use fun types of materials to
showcase their composition with the same results. Some examples of alternative types of
materials include: construction paper, yarn, dried noodles, colored tape, popsicle sticks, and
stickers. Below are two composition activities that can be taught by just using construction
paper.

Long and Short Sounds Composition

 • First, create a sound bank of long and short sounds (vocal, natural, instrumental, etc).
• Next, have students rip long and short pieces of construction paper.
• Next, have students choose between the ripped pieces and tape it onto a larger “master
score.”
• Next, have students choose between the long and short sounds from the bank.
• Last, have students perform their compositions just using ripped pieces of construction
paper.

Composing with Colors

• First, introduce how different colors can represent different pitches (easily connects with
color-coding mentioned earlier).
• Next, use colored construction paper and compose melodies on the board.
• Next, have students play the songs on melodic instruments with colored connections
(either use instruments that already follow the rainbow spectrum or you can tape the
colors on).
• Next, have students compose their own songs just using colored construction paper.
o You can add more guidelines such as using pentatonic colors, or specific pitches
if you want.
o You can also add rhythm by using different sizes of paper.

Once all types of musical activities are adapted or differentiated, more students will find
success in the music classroom. Alternative modifications can still be made for specific students
or learners. Nevertheless, by allowing everyone to have an entry point, teachers will allow for a
more positive music-making experience.

Also read Brian Wagner’s past article, “Making Connections: Using Music to Make Artistic,
Interdisciplinary, and Lifelong Connections for Special Learners.”

About the author:

NAfME member Brian Wagner-Yeung received his BA and MSED in Music Education from CUNY
Queens College. He is currently split between two schools in Brooklyn: PS 370K and Brooklyn
School of Inquiry. He has worked with students on the elementary, middle school, and high
school level, where he has worked with students who have severe special needs—in addition to
students who are gifted and talented. Mr. Wagner has taught: general music, string orchestra,
musical theatre, and performing arts. He is a classically trained cellist, and currently plays
regularly in the NYC area.

He has presented, and co-presented workshops for: NYSSMA, NYCDOE, SCMEA, OMEA, NJMEA,
CMEA, NYSCAME, NAfME National In-Service Conference, NAfME Biennial Eastern Division
Conference, NAfME Western Division Conference, and two online webinars for NAfME
Academy. He has also presented lectures at CUNY Brooklyn College, CUNY Queens College, and
NYU. In addition, he has had papers and articles published in: International Journal of Humanities
and Social Sciences, School Music News, Tempo, Maryland Music Educator, and Bluegrass Music
News, in addition to NAfME’s blog Music in a Minuet.

Visit Brian’s website. Connect with Brian on LinkedIn.