Unit 4 – Singing
Singing is an integral part of the primary school music curriculum. From the early years in kindergarten, students are introduced to singing and to music through nursery rhymes, sung in English and Maltese. In Year 1 – 6, students develop more reading, writing and coordination abilities. Singing aims at developing students musical, vocal and expressive skills as well as their sensitivity and emotional qualities. Singing can also work across the music curriculum in topics such as history of music, musical notation, the playing of the recorder, and those topics related to Maltese music. It can also work across the primary curriculum where together with the class teachers it can be part of cross-curricular projects involving history, science, religion, art, drama as well as the study of English to mention a few.
We have selected songs which can be used for the initial Primary Years 1-3. The selected songs are of course only suggestions which can be used in our mixed ability classes.
The songs are kept within a small range of notes, exploring only very little higher pitches. Good keywords which can be used when teaching singing in the classroom are: gentle, soft, light, don’t force, crisper, faster, take a breath together, look at me, listen to yourself and to others – make sure your tune is like the one of your friend next to you, smile, enjoy it, feel good!
The songs for Year One are Let us clap our hands together, and Tommy Thumb. We also suggest Dawra Durella, Onġi Onġi Onġella’ Lanċa Ġejja’ u ‘Oħra Sejra as well as the popular chant Iż-Żunzana Iddur Iddur. The last song may be set to the music by the more adventurous music teacher.
All the singing sessions can be developed and completed in the time-frame of a lesson with successful results achieved almost immediately.
Activity 1 – Tommy Thumb
This song is about our hand and fingers. Let us say these syllables out aloud:
(1) Tom – my Thumb
(2) Pe – ter Point – ter
(3) Mid – dle Man
(4) Ru – by Ring
(5) Ba – by Small
Tommy thumb, Tommy thumb,
Where are you?
Here I am, here I am,
How do you do?
Activity 2 – Let’s All Clap Hands Together!
Our body can make sounds. Let us explore these sounds together.
Let us do these sounds together:
(1) Clap hands
(2) Stamp our feet
(3) Jump up and down
(4) Swing our arms
(5) Go to sleep
Let’s all clap hands together,
Let’s all clap hands together,
Let’s all clap hands together,
And have a lot of fun.
Kanzunetta għal kull ittra tal-alfabett
Fis-sit https://malti.skola.edu.mt/ tal-Uffiċjali Edukattivi tal-Malti, wieħed jista’ jsib diversi risorsi li jistgħu jintużaw waqt il-lezzjoni tal-mużika.
Fost dawn hemm Kanzunetta għal kull ittra tal-alfabett. Dawn il-kanzunetti huma miktuba u kantati minn Leontine Spiteri u kompożizzjoni ta’ Augusto Cardinali.
L-alfabett ittra ittra bil-kant u bl-istejjer
Kull taqbila hija abbinata ma’ ittra tal-alfabett. L-istess ħoss tal-ittra hu rrepetut diversi drabi fi kliem differenti matul it-taqbila biex b’hekk it-tfal jisimgħu u jibdew jagħrfu l-ħoss tal-ittra partikolari u jidentifikaw kliem li jibda u/jew ikun fih l-istess ħoss tal-ittra tal-alfabett.