Exploring sound and voice
Students start the year listening closely to music and the sounds around them. They try out singing voices, clapping along, and noticing when music is fast or slow, loud or quiet.
What does a student learn in
This is the year music becomes something students make, not just hear. Students sing, clap rhythms, and try out simple instruments, then talk about how a song makes them feel. They start connecting music to their own lives and to the songs they hear at home or in their community. By spring, students can sing a short song from memory and share what they like about it.
- Singing
- Rhythm and beat
- Simple instruments
- Listening to music
- Sharing songs
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Making music of their own
Students invent short songs, rhythms, and movements. They might tap a steady beat on a drum or make up a tune about something that happened at home.
- 3
Shaping a song to share
Students pick favorite songs and practice them with a group. They work on staying together, remembering the words, and showing how the music feels.
- 4
Music from different places
Students listen to songs from many cultures and times. They talk about what a song reminds them of and share which ones they like and why.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Pre-Kindergarten.
Connecting
Connecting
-
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect a song or sound to something they know from their own life, like humming a tune that reminds them of home or clapping along to music they have heard before.
-
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Songs and music come from real places, times, and people. Students begin to notice how music connects to their own lives and the world around them.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect a song or sound to something they know from their own life, like humming a tune that reminds them of home or clapping along to music they have heard before. | MU:Cn10.pk |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Songs and music come from real places, times, and people. Students begin to notice how music connects to their own lives and the world around them. | MU:Cn11.pk |
Creating
Creating
-
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students make up short songs, rhythms, or sounds and start turning those ideas into simple music.
-
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students pick sounds or simple rhythms to put together a short musical idea, like tapping a pattern or humming a tune they made up.
-
Refine and complete artistic work
Students revisit a song or rhythm they made and decide if it sounds the way they want. They practice it again until it feels finished.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students make up short songs, rhythms, or sounds and start turning those ideas into simple music. | MU:Cr1.pk |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students pick sounds or simple rhythms to put together a short musical idea, like tapping a pattern or humming a tune they made up. | MU:Cr2.pk |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students revisit a song or rhythm they made and decide if it sounds the way they want. They practice it again until it feels finished. | MU:Cr3.pk |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
-
Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students choose a song or simple piece to perform and think about how they want it to sound before they play or sing it.
-
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a song or simple rhythm until they can perform it for others. Getting ready to share music means trying it more than once and making it better each time.
-
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Singing a song or playing along to music is a way of sharing something with others. Students learn that performing is a form of expression, not just following notes.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose a song or simple piece to perform and think about how they want it to sound before they play or sing it. | MU:Pr4.pk |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a song or simple rhythm until they can perform it for others. Getting ready to share music means trying it more than once and making it better each time. | MU:Pr5.pk |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Singing a song or playing along to music is a way of sharing something with others. Students learn that performing is a form of expression, not just following notes. | MU:Pr6.pk |
Responding
Responding
-
Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students listen to a short piece of music and share what they notice, such as whether it sounds fast or slow, loud or soft.
-
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students listen to a short song or piece of music and share what it makes them think or feel. There is no single right answer.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students listen to a song or performance and say what they liked or what sounded interesting. They start learning that music can be talked about, not just heard.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students listen to a short piece of music and share what they notice, such as whether it sounds fast or slow, loud or soft. | MU:Re7.pk |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students listen to a short song or piece of music and share what it makes them think or feel. There is no single right answer. | MU:Re8.pk |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students listen to a song or performance and say what they liked or what sounded interesting. They start learning that music can be talked about, not just heard. | MU:Re9.pk |
Common Questions
What does music class look like at this age?
Music at this age is mostly singing, moving, clapping, and playing simple instruments like shakers and drums. Students explore loud and soft, fast and slow, and high and low sounds. Lessons feel like play, but they build listening skills that show up later in reading and math.
How can I support music learning at home?
Sing together in the car, clap along to favorite songs, and let kids bang on pots or shake a jar of beans. Ask what they hear: is the song fast or slow, happy or sleepy? Five minutes of singing or dancing a day is plenty.
Do students need to read music or learn notes?
No. Reading notes comes much later. Right now the goal is to keep a steady beat, copy short rhythms, and tell the difference between sounds. Think of it as the ear training that comes before letters in reading.
How should I sequence music skills across the year?
Start with steady beat and call-and-response singing in the fall. Add high and low, loud and soft, and fast and slow over the winter. By spring, students can make up their own short songs or movements and share them with the group.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Keeping a steady beat is the one most students need extra practice with. Matching pitch when singing is the other. Both improve with short, frequent practice rather than long lessons, so build them into transitions and morning meeting.
What if my child says they cannot sing or are shy in class?
Most kids this age are still finding their singing voice, and that is normal. Sing with them at home so they hear a model up close, and praise the trying, not the sound. Humming, whispering, and animal noises all count as practice.
How do I know students are ready for kindergarten music?
By the end of the year, most students can clap a steady beat, sing along with a familiar song, and tell you whether a sound was loud or soft. They should also be willing to make up a short tune or movement and share it with classmates.
Why connect songs to stories, seasons, or family traditions?
Songs stick better when they connect to something students already know. Tying music to a season, a story, or a family tradition helps students talk about what a song means and where it comes from. Ask about songs from your own childhood and share them.