“There’s so much to learn in every song!”
By Kristin Clark Taylor
From the Very First Note …
Susan Daye, an elementary music teacher in Collier County, Florida, remembers the first time she ever heard — or saw – QuaverMusic.
“I just remember being amazed by everything about it,” she says with a twinge of nostalgia and a touch of awe.
“The animation, the characters, the rhythm work – I was impressed.”
That was years ago, but today, the memory still burns as brightly as the Florida sun.
“When I first brought Quaver into my classroom, I only had ClassPlay,” she recalls, “but that was more than enough because we all loved it!”
Daye’s use of Quaver expanded rapidly over the years.
She still relies on it as an essential classroom tool to this very day, yet she looks back on those early days with a happy smile and a warm heart.
“My students loved Quaver from the first moment they saw it,” Daye says with appreciation, “and I realized that I’d finally found a resource that I loved.”
And she knew it from the very first note.
Quaver Brings Learning to Life
What else brightens Daye’s day?
The songs and the lessons themselves.
“There’s so much to learn in every song!” she exclaims.
Daye points to “Jumping Jacks” as the perfect example.
“I use ‘Jumping Jacks’ as a warm-up song with my kinders,” she explains, “and it’s also a great way for them to get all their wiggles out!”
But Daye digs even deeper to extract additional learning opportunities from the song: While her little ones are fully engaged and moving to the music, “it’s a great time to introduce the concepts of rhythm and beat,” she says.
“We’ve got Penny (the animated character) on the screen going through the motions with us, so they’re learning about rhythm and beat by making it themselves!”
To further reinforce the concepts of rhythm and beat, Daye says she’ll often bring in the popular song “Music Has a Steady Beat.”
“When they’re paired together, these two songs really do facilitate learning!” she says.
Daye says she uses ClassPlay and Resource Manager to create and customize a combination of songs and lessons that work best for her students.
“I pull from Quaver’s list, and I also have an extensive list of other songs I’ve collected and cultivated over the years,” she says. “I’m very big on customizing, and Quaver allows me to do just that.”
Daye uses Quaver to reach and teach her older students as well.
She’s excited about teaching her 5th-graders the ukulele and says, “My fourth-graders love the recorder lessons!”
Susan Daye, a music teacher at Veterans Memorial Elementary in Collier County, Florida, says her 4th-graders love learning the recorder with Perry the Sheep!
Daye points to yet another way Quaver brings learning to life.
“I really love the teaching songs,” she says, referring to the songs with instructive lyrics that actually explain the musical concepts.
“When we sing ‘Every Good Boy Does Fine,’ for instance, “my little ones are actually learning the notes as they’re singing the song, so there’s a direct connection between the material and the learning.”
Daye says that when she asks her students if they can name the notes as they’re singing them, “I see all these little hands going up!”
Past, Present, and Future
Susan Daye has a happy history with Quaver, to be sure.
But she’s also excited about what Quaver offers her today, right here and now – and she’s even more excited about her future with Quaver.
“As great as it already is, Quaver keeps getting better and better!”
If you’re searching for a similarly sunny forecast in your classroom, visit QuaverEd.com/Music for more information!
Kristin Clark Taylor is an author and a journalist.
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