Exploring sound and voice
Students start the year getting comfortable making music together. They sing simple songs, copy rhythms with their hands, and try out different sounds with their voices and small instruments.
What does a student learn in
This is the year music starts to feel like something students can make, not just hear. Students explore sounds with their voices, their bodies, and simple instruments, and they start to notice how a song can feel happy, sleepy, or silly. They share favorite songs from home and listen closely to what others play. By spring, they can sing a short song, keep a steady beat, and say what a piece of music makes them feel.
- Singing
- Steady beat
- Exploring instruments
- Listening to music
- Sharing favorite 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 up new music
Students begin inventing their own short songs and rhythm patterns. They add words, sounds, or movements to a song and decide what feels right before sharing it.
- 3
Sharing songs with others
Students practice performing for classmates and family. They learn to start and stop together, keep a steady beat, and show feelings like happy or sleepy through how they sing or play.
- 4
Listening and talking about music
Students listen to different kinds of music and notice what they hear. They talk about fast and slow, loud and quiet, and say which songs they like and why.
- 5
Music from home and the world
Students connect songs to their own lives and to music from other families and places. They learn songs tied to celebrations, seasons, and stories from different cultures.
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 what they already know and feel to the music they make or hear. A song about rain means more when students think about splashing in puddles.
-
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Songs and music come from somewhere. Students begin to notice that different music belongs to different people, places, and times.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect what they already know and feel to the music they make or hear. A song about rain means more when students think about splashing in puddles. | MU:Cn10.pk |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Songs and music come from somewhere. Students begin to notice that different music belongs to different people, places, and times. | MU:Cn11.pk |
Creating
Creating
-
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students try out sounds, rhythms, and musical ideas through singing, clapping, and simple instruments. Making music starts with play.
-
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students pick a simple melody, rhythm, or sound and practice it until it feels ready to share. This is the early work of turning a musical idea into something real.
-
Refine and complete artistic work
Students practice a song or rhythm until it sounds the way they want it to. They learn that making music takes more than one try.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students try out sounds, rhythms, and musical ideas through singing, clapping, and simple instruments. Making music starts with play. | MU:Cr1.pk |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students pick a simple melody, rhythm, or sound and practice it until it feels ready to share. This is the early work of turning a musical idea into something real. | MU:Cr2.pk |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students practice a song or rhythm until it sounds the way they want it to. They learn that making music takes more than one try. | MU:Cr3.pk |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
-
Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students choose a song or a short piece of music to share with others, then practice it so they feel ready to perform it.
-
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a song or movement until it feels ready to share. Getting something ready to perform means trying it more than once and making it a little better each time.
-
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Singing a song or tapping a beat is a way to share a feeling or tell a story. Students practice performing so their music means something to the people listening.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose a song or a short piece of music to share with others, then practice it so they feel ready to perform it. | MU:Pr4.pk |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a song or movement until it feels ready to share. Getting something ready to perform means trying it more than once and making it a little better each time. | MU:Pr5.pk |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Singing a song or tapping a beat is a way to share a feeling or tell a story. Students practice performing so their music means something to the people listening. | MU:Pr6.pk |
Responding
Responding
-
Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students listen to a short song or sound and talk about what they notice, like whether it feels fast or slow, loud or quiet.
-
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students listen to a short song or musical piece and share what they think it feels like or what it might be about. There are no wrong answers.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students listen to a short song or sound and say what they like or what sounds good to them. They start learning that music can be judged, not just heard.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students listen to a short song or sound and talk about what they notice, like whether it feels fast or slow, loud or quiet. | MU:Re7.pk |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students listen to a short song or musical piece and share what they think it feels like or what it might be about. There are no wrong answers. | MU:Re8.pk |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students listen to a short song or sound and say what they like or what sounds good to them. They start learning that music can be judged, not just heard. | MU:Re9.pk |
Common Questions
What does music look like for four-year-olds?
Students sing simple songs, clap and tap to a steady beat, and try out instruments like shakers, drums, and bells. They also move to music, make up their own sounds, and start to notice when music is fast or slow, loud or quiet.
How can I support music at home in just a few minutes a day?
Sing together in the car, clap along to favorite songs, and let students bang on pots or shake a jar of beans. Ask what the music makes them think of or want to do. Five minutes of singing or dancing each day is plenty at this age.
Does a child need to be musical or take lessons to do well this year?
No. The goal is exploring sound and enjoying music, not performing. Students who sing off-key, tap an uneven beat, or make up nonsense songs are doing exactly the right work for their age.
What should I look for by the end of the year?
Students should join in on familiar songs, keep a rough steady beat, and tell the difference between loud and quiet or fast and slow. They should also be willing to make up their own sounds and songs and share what a piece of music reminds them of.
How should I sequence music across the year?
Start with steady beat, call-and-response songs, and free exploration of classroom instruments. Move into contrasts like loud and quiet or high and low in the middle of the year. Save short performances and simple song-making for the final stretch, once routines are solid.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Steady beat is the big one. Many four-year-olds clap faster and faster or drift off the pulse. Short daily beat practice with a song, a drum, or marching feet pays off more than longer weekly sessions.
How do I handle students who do not want to sing or perform?
Let them participate by tapping, moving, or playing an instrument instead of singing. Group songs and partner activities take pressure off any one student. Most warm up to singing once they trust the room and know the songs by heart.
What should students be able to say about a piece of music?
Students should be able to share what they noticed and how the music made them feel, using everyday words like happy, sleepy, fast, or bouncy. They can also say what the music reminds them of, such as rain, marching, or a lullaby.