The value of movement in connection with learning is unparalleled in our

elementary and primary classrooms. In cultures around the world, exploration

through percussion is a natural way of connecting children to the group and
developing their motor responses. Movement through music, furthermore, helps
stimulate the brain and integrate the right and left hemispheres

After extensive observations of how young children learn about the world by
interacting with objects in their environment, physician and educator Maria
Montessori once wrote,

Not only are thought and action two parts of the same occurrence, but it is
through movement that the higher life expresses itself.

Since the action of drumming comes easily to children, exploring percussion is a

way to open the door to a broader appreciation of music and achieving the
benefits that music has to offer.

Here are some ways that you can introduce percussion instruments and
percussive music to your students. After these starter activities, you may want to
devote some time with your classes to discuss what kind of sounds were heard,
what is rhythm, and how a song can be made with beats:

Play the Room Taking caution not to strike anything that is fragile, allow
children to explore the room with drumsticks. Tap the floor, tables, chairs, desks,
doorknobs, and shelves. For discussion, ask what makes a loud or soft sound,
and what object kept the longest sound. Have children sit in pairs, taking turns
playing the floor and listening, to help make the connection between vibration
and sound.

Create Copycat Rhythms Clap a pattern and have students echo-clap back to
you. Encourage other children to be the leader for the group conversation.
Copycat rhythms can be created by stomping feet, jumping, or with drums or
shakers in the circle. Connect rhythm to what children know by singing familiar
nursery rhymes and clapping to the beat.

Play the Jungle Beat Start with pictures of different jungle animals and talk
about what kind of sound characterizes that animal. With stomping feet in hard
or soft, slow and fast beats, practice together how an elephant or rhinoceros
sounds. How is this different from the sound of a monkey walk, or a tiger stalking
its prey?

Use Found Objects Objects everywhere from the kitchen to the junkyard can be
used to make a sound. Ask children to bring something from home that they
think makes a good sound (pots and pans, lids for cymbals, graters or scrapers)
and have them introduce the sound in the circle. What rattles, clatters, or
jingles? Talk about the qualities of the sound, and then conduct the group in an
orchestra of stuff!

Introduce Instruments that Children can Easily Play Instruments such as the
xylophone, tambourine, maracas, triangles, glockenspiels and bongo drums are
ideal for their ease of play and varying percussive qualities. Allow time for
children to explore the qualities of their sounds, or have a set space in class so
that children try making their own music with instruments that they choose.

Listen to Great Traditions The music of Ghana and Nigeria has particularly rich
drumming traditions. Listen to recordings from Africa and other cultures to
expose children to the masters of percussive rhythms.

Reading about percussion instruments and exposing our students is a first active
step to introducing elementary aged children to percussion instrument playing.
One way to learn more is by sharing your own ideas and strategies with the
wider Fun Music Company community using the comments box below. Be sure to
leave your feedback giving details of your favourite strategy for teaching
percussion to elementary and primary children so you can network with other
teachers and find new ideas and strategies together.

Youll also find some tips on how to properly play some beginning percussion
instruments at our percussion secrets video which is presented by an expert
percussionist who makes learning percussion instruments very easy to
understand. If youre looking for something which is a hands on approach to
general music percussion with elementary/ lower primary students and you have
access to an interactive whiteboard, you can access a ready to go lesson and
watch a video at http://www.funmusicco.com/interactive-whiteboard.html.
Alternatively, if you would like to have more music percussion ideas for upper
primary students, you might also be interested in my article called Teaching
ideas Using STOMP in a general music class which will give you all kinds of ideas
on junk percussion and other percussion instruments that will motivate midupper primary students.