How to Include Music in Homeschool

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Given the music we hear every day how does a homeschool teacher determine the best way to teach music in homeschool?

Music is all around us. It’s on the car radio as we travel from one place to another. It’s in the theme songs of movies we watch with our kids. It is part of our worship when we attend sing praises. Music can even be heard piped through sound systems at the stores we frequent. And, then there is the music found in nature, birds singing, trees rustling in the wind, animals calling to each other, or in the wave of the ocean.

How to Include Music in Homeschool | GreatPeaceLiving.com #music #homeschool

Music has been in the world as long as mankind has. But, most music appreciation studies begin with the Baroque era and move forward to the modern era. You don’t have to do them all, simply choose two or three and select the era of music you want your students to study.

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Study Approaches for Music in Homeschool

There are several approaches to teaching a music study.

Music Appreciation, an historical study of music, including the lives of the composers.

Learning to play musical instrument
Discovering the written music and it’s dynamics
Through active or through passive listening

A good study might incorporate several or all of the above methods. The best way for you to decide is to consider your time, goals for your students, and your family’s ideals when it comes to music in your lives.

You’ll find 3 Easy Ways to Teach Music in Your Homeschool over at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

For example learning to play an instrument can be as simple as learning how to count out the basic beat of a composition on a simple drum. Or, it could be learning to play the melody on a recorder. Or, maybe you want your child to have a decent understanding of music through piano lessons.

Then, again learning to play an instrument can take years of lessons and decisions about which instruments, and genres the student musician will focus on.

Your time, finances, and goals will all play a role in dictating how your students might learn to play an instrument in their homeschool music studies.

Approaching a music study through listening might also require some basic understanding of a written composition. Having knowledge of scores, instrumentation, and dynamics can help the listener to have a greater appreciation for the work of art that is encompassed in what they are hearing.

20th Century Music Appreciation for High School

One homeschooling mom shared with me that she turned on movie theme songs for her kids to listen to while they did other work. It helped them to develop a great love for a wide range of both movies and music styles.

Finding the Right Music Curriculum for Your Homeshcool

That’s where a good quality music appreciation curriculum will come in. Take a look at these guides to help you decide which curriculum will work best for your family.

Comprehensive Music Appreciationm for Elementary Homeschool

There are many resources available for homeschooling families to teach music. I’ve shared a few of them here.

It’s not fully necessary to have in-depth knowledge to enjoy the music. Sometimes, we determine whether or not we like a music piece by how we feel rather than how a piece is written.

You, as the homeschool teacher, get to decide how in-depth you want your students music studies to be.

For elementary ages it can be through passive listening, or guided listening.

In the middle school ages you might want to introduce the basics of instrumentation and written composition.
High school students can use a comprehensive music appreciation curriculum and credit your student for either a half credit or full credit depening on the number of hours they engage with the material.

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HOW TO START TEACHING MUSIC TO KIDS AT AN EARLY AGE

However you choose to approach music in your homeschool know that it doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Remember that music is all around us so you have a wide range of opportunity to introduce your kids to the wonders of the world of music.

Are you a seasoned homeschool mom? What ways are you introducing music into your homeschool?