Submitted by Susan Cerny, Newcastle, Oklahoma
Idea posted January 20, 2003
I do horse racing with my first grades. (Second grade uses sailboats and third uses tennis shoes.) I use the ellison die cuts for the horse, sailboat, and tennis shoe. I put all 16 patterns of ta and rest on the wall. After they are able to read ta and rest, they begin racing. Each pattern they make it through with no mistakes, their horse moves that far. Next time they come, they begin at the beginning (always review the ones done) and see if they can get a little further. I do keep a steady beat on a hand drum to help them stay together better.
They like to come in and see if the other class has moved further than theirs. They all win because they all eventually get to the end. After they are able to read ti-ti, they begin to race through the ti-ti patterns and then to half, whole and dotted half rhythms, etc. When the first graders become second graders, I have them start at the beginning of the ta's and read through them again and go on to ti-ti's while they are being prepared for the next notes to be learned.
I use ticky tac on the backs of the horses to keep them up on the wall. I use different colors of horses (of course) and also put the teacher's name on their horse with marker or print it on paper and tape it on. The students remind me when I sometimes forget to race.
Each grade level starts over as a review. Amazing how they begin to "sail" through the patterns. I have them pat the beat and say the patterns first. After that, they can clap through them.
Good luck! (I hope this all makes sense!)