Meaningful Music Assessment in Minutes

Angelyn Hirai – Elementary Music Educator

Florida State University Schools – arh02d@fsu.edu

Learning Goal Students will: Sing, play instruments, move, create, respond, read, write and listen to demonstrate
the following skill words: Pitch, Tempo, Rhythm, Dynamics, and Tone Color.

Rubrics for Assessing Tempo, Pitch and Rhythm:

Tempo Pitch Rhythm Whole Song Rubric

4. I can keep the beat of
the whole song
3. I can keep the beat
with others.
2. I can keep the beat
sometimes.
1. Finding and feeling the
beat of the song is hard
for me.
4. I sing / play with ALL
correct pitches.
3. I sing / play with
MOSTLY correct pitches.
2. I talk / play with SOME
of the pitches correct.
1. I talk / play but DON’T
SHOW correct pitches.
4. I demonstrate correct
rhythms on beat.
3. I demonstrate correct
rhythms MOSTLY on
beat.
2. I demonstrate SOME
of the rhythm correctly.
1. I DON’T understand how
to demonstrate the rhythm.
4. Soloist! I can
demonstrate the skill word
alone.
3. Ensemble! I can
demonstrate the skill
words with others.
2. I am trying to get it. I
am watching others and
asking questions.
1. I am not sure what to do
or what to ask.

Skill word chants: Teach using call and response. Once they know the response use fill in blank.

Tempo: T E M P O that spells TEMPO. Tempo is fast and slow!

Rhythm: I got rhythm, yes I do. I got Rhythm, how ‘bout you?
I can keep rhythm all day long, cause rhythm is patterns of short and long.

Pitch: Pitch! (Students echo then all together you say) How high or low a note is. (Students point up for high and down
for low)

Dynamics: How LOUD (say loudly) or soft (say quietly) a sound is.

Tone Color: The way things sound. (Say several times with different tone colors)

Activities for Assessing Pitch

“Here I am” When calling roll have student respond by singing “Here I Am” using Solfege pitches Sol, sol, mi. Use in
grade k – 5 use rubric to score.

“Solfege Echo” Sing a 4 beat solfege pattern and students echo individually during roll call. Use rubric to score for
grades 1 -5.

“Sight Sing Echo” Sign the solfege pitches and students sings pitches they see back. For grades 2 -5.

“Sight Singing Staff” Draw a staff on the white board and use circle magnets for note heads. Decide pitch parameters
(For Ex. Sol, La, Mi, Re, Do) and give 8 to 12 students a magnet to place on the staff – emphasizing that we compose
from left to right and one after the other. Have the whole class speak the note names with hand signals first then sing
the example continuing to use hand signals. (grades 2 -5)

Activities for Assessing Rhythm

Rhythmic Echo – When calling roll clap a 4 beat rhythmic pattern for student to echo. Use rubric for grades k-5.
Rhythm Reading Steps
1. Say it only (ex. Ta-ta-ti ti-ta)
2. Say it and clap it.
3. Clap it with magic lips. (mouth moving no sound coming out

Rhythm Flashcards Use reading steps to go through flashcards. As students build fluency skip steps so
cards are performed one after the other, on the beat.

Rhythmic Translator Clap a rhythm for students to echo then select an individual to “translate” the rhythm into
the “ta - ti ti language”. Reward students who get it correct.

Small Group Rhythm Jam - Break class up into five small groups and give each group two rhythm cards and a
visible color. Instruct them to go through the reading steps to practice. After a few minutes have each group perform
their rhythms at level 2.
Add Tone Colors Give each Team a rhythm instrument to play their part on.
Popcorn Teachers plays the beat on a drum and calls out the colors at random.
Make a Rainbow Layer colors on top of each other by having students play their rhythms as an ostinato.
Write a Form Work with students to write a form using colored magnets or smart board to create a visual.
Color Swap Have Students Switch stations to practice a new rhythm and play a new instrument.
Improvise Have a station that has no rhythm cards. Students create their own when their color is called.

Rhythm Walk Set up: Have a visual with five 4 beat rhythms with each rhythm assigned a color. Mark the
floor with the colors that match those assigned to rhythms. Make sure you have more color markers that you
have students. Use rhythm steps and review each rhythm. Select a piece of music that is in 4/4 with a
moderato tempo. Ask students to listen and keep the beat. Ask them to stand and walk to the beat. Select
an instrument that will serve as the “signal”. Teacher will play 8 beats on the signal instrument to cue
students to walk to a color and stop. At the end of the eight beats everyone will clap the rhythm that matches
the color they are standing on. (You will want to practice this without the music playing) Add music and play
to the end of the song encouraging students to go to a new color each time.

Quick Rhythm Assessment

Make a visual using multiple rhythm patterns with each pattern having a label. (for example: each can have a
color or a number) Call roll and after students name indicate which color / number the student has to
perform. Students should demonstrate rhythm at reading level 2. Score using the rhythm rubric above.

Thank you for attending this session today!