ECMMA 2011 Southeast Regional Conference

Math In Real Life: http://mathirl.blogspot.com/

Music

• Rhythm

• Tempo

• Pitch

• Volume

Math

• Counting

• Patterns

• Opposites

• Sorting

* Khalsa, Arjan (2011). Music and math: Exploring fractions in music. Video retrieved from http://www.keypress.com/x26707.xml

Review research about music and math. Identify math skills that children learn

during the early years. Explore ways music and math are being

used in classrooms. Examine common music and movement

activities to find the math connection.

Spacial-temporal Reasoning when you manipulate visual images in your mind and draw

conclusions or solve problems about them. ▪ playing chess

▪ construction and archetecture

▪ creating dress designs

▪ solving math problems

▪ writing or performing music.

Making connections between neural pathways▪ “…pre-wired connections to spatial thinking in the brain are

triggered by active engagement with traditional music instruction, regardless of the intent of the music teacher.” - Larry Scripp, from the Research Center for Learning Through Music

(Kells )

Rauscher & Shaw 1994: 3-year-olds who received music lessons showed

improvement in spacial-temporal reasoning.

1998: Preschoolers who took piano lessons for sixth months improved more than children who received computer lessons.

Gene and Kamille Geist (2007) Improved “math anxiety” in parents and children by

teaching songs about color patterns in Head Start programs in Ohio

(Sawyers and Hutson-Brandhagen, 2004; Sottosanti, 2010)

Kindermusik

Music Math & Me

El Dorado Hills, CA

Moving through Math

Marcia Dafthttp://youtu.be/fLPlKKnyZtY

MIND Research Institute developed a math and music computer program that the Viejas band of Indians funded in kindergarten classes in Alpine, CA.

Annual Drumming Performance: Alvord Elementary School, Santa Fe, New Mexico

NUMBER AND OPERATIONS Counting One-to-one correspondence Keeping track while counting Quantity Change Operation Comparison Recognizing and writing numerals

PATTERNS, FUNCTION, AND ALGEBRA Repeating patterns Growing patterns Finding, copying, extending, and creating patterns Experiencing patterns in various modalities Use of symbols Making generalizations about number properties Describing change

GEOMETRY AND SPATIAL SENSE Shape Space Transformations

MEASUREMENT Comparing and ordering Length and area Capacity and volume Weight Time Temperature Conservation Transitive reasoning Measurement processes

DATA ANALYSIS AND PROBABILITY Posing questions and gathering data Sorting and classifying Scholastic.com Book Wizard Student Activities Lesson

Plans Teacher Store Organizing data Representing data with concrete objects, pictures, and

graphs Describing and comparing Acquiring concepts and language of probability

Develop mathematical thinking informallythrough experiences

“Mathematics learning should build on children's curiosity and enthusiasm and should grow naturally from their experiences.”

“In the preschool years, quality learning is often incidental and informal. This does not mean unplanned or unsystematic. The most powerful mathematics learning for young children is seldom acquired sitting down in a group lesson.”

(NCTM, 1999)

Children’s Math Development Chart (Ages 0-6)Development of Math Concepts Chart (Ages 3-5)

Math needs to be integrated with songs. Children need to understand notation,

rhythm, and explore their relationships. Children need to have daily opportunities for

aesthetic expressions and apreciation through music

Children need to learn from self-directed problem solving and experimentation.

(Edelson & Johnson, 2003)

“This Old Man” matching and comparing (through changes in

pitch, volume, and rhythm)

patterning and sequencing (through repetitions of melodies, rhythms, and lyrics);

counting and addition (identifying cardinal numbers and adding one more with each verse).

When you add moving to the beat, you have created an entire mind/body package of learning rolled into one song!

(Church, 2001)

One-to-one correspondence “Learner Say & Do” - Children say the words that define their actions

(Say) and then match the movement to the words (Do). Example: “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes”

Steady beat In beat activities, children experience the rhythms of the words or

songs while patting, tapping, or walking to the steady beat, thus matching their pats or steps one to one with the beat.

Steady beats from birth: patting, rocking, humming According to movement and music educator Phyllis Weikart, steady

beat activities are an important way for children to form cognitive-motor links, connections between children’s thinking and their physical abilities.

(Sawyers & Hutson-Brandhagen, 2004)

Clap the syllables in each child’s name

“Change the variable”

snap, stomp, jump

add arm movements,

use rhythm instruments

Concepts of “equal,” “more,” and “less.”

Who has the same number of claps?

Who has more? Who has less?

(Edelson & Johnson, 2003)

Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers “Numbers are symbols that represent "how many" of

something... Too often we begin working with children on numerals before teaching them what the number symbols mean.” – Ellen Booth Church

“Five Green and Speckled Frogs” Does the original version deal with cardinal or ordinal numbers?

How can we modify the song to emphasize order?

(Edelson & Johnson, 2003)

High - low More - less Adding / subtracting

Gardiner is one researcher who explicitly explores more specific early math concepts that tie to music, including a “pitch line” similar to a number line.

(Kells)

High – low Fast – slow Loud – quiet

“The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”

Order instruments and “found sounds”▪ bubble wrap; plastic bags; pans, bowls, and other

kitchen implements; and plastic bottles filled with rice, beans, or rocks.

From loudest to quietest

From highest to lowest

From big to small

Classify instruments based on their use.

(Edelson & Johnson, 2003)

Math: Even and odd numbers; shape patterns Music: melodies, refrains, rhythms Patterning skills:

Analyze the pattern to figure out the rule

Communicate the rule in words

Predict what will come next in the pattern

Translate the pattern (express the same pattern through a different medium)

(Edelson & Johnson, 2003)

Exploring Rhythm

Using the body and everyday objects

Children begin by “echoing” the teacher’s rhythms.

Compare and contrast different rhythms:

▪ What is the difference between clapping like this (fast beats the equivalent of half notes) and clapping like this (steady beats the equivalent of whole notes)?

▪ Can you see the relationship of the fast beats to the slower beats?

(SEDL, 1998)

Building Patterns

Make and represent patterns together.

Let the children arrange their own pattern.

See if the children can “read” and “play” each other’s patterns.

(SEDL, 1998; Edelson & Johnson, 2003)

Music

• Rhythm

• Tempo

• Pitch

• Volume

Math

• Counting

• Patterns

• Opposites

• Sorting

“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but more

importantly music...for in the patterns of music and all the arts are the keys to learning.”

Plato, 410 B.C.

Math In Real Life: http://mathirl.blogspot.com/

Church, Ellen Booth (2001). The math in music & movement. Early Childhood Today, (January). Retrieved from http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3745951

Edelson, R. Jill & Johnson, Gretchin (2003). Music makes math meaningful. Childhood Education, 80(2).

Kells, Deanne. The impact of music on mathematics achievement. Retrieved from http://www.kindermusik.com/about/development.aspx

NCTM (1999). Math principles & standards: Grades PreK-2. Early Childhood Today (October). Retrieved from http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3745665

Sawyers, Karen & Hutson-Brandhagen (2004). Music and Math: How Do We Make the Connection for Preschoolers? Child Care Information Exchange, (July/August). Retrieved from http://www.childcareexchange.com/library/5015846.pdf

SEDL (1998). Teaching Math with Music. Classroom Compus, 4(2). Retrieved from http://www.sedl.org/scimath/compass/v04n02/welcome.html

Sottosanti, Karen (2010, April 2). Playing the numbers: Music beats math anxiety, studies find. Retrieved from http://www.ohio.edu/research/communications/math.cfm