Submitted by Gretchen Taylor, Illinois

Idea posted September 19, 2003

I prepared a list of words for my 3rd through 8th grade WOW wall that will correspond approximately to the grade levels as we focus on them more specifically. With my two whole-school shows taking up two quarters of the teaching year, I only have about 15-20 weeks for WOW and had to limit my lists significantly.

I'm including some "tutti" words that I consider foundational words everyone should know at a glance, then I sorted the other words into specific lists for grades 3, 4, 5, and 6-8 combined. I'm listing the words here, but I've also prepared templates of the words, in Word, that can be printed onto card stock for flashcards, with six to eight words fitting on one 8.5 x 11 sheet. I'm going to color coordinate them by grade, laminate, and then cut.

Words of the Week (WOW) Grade Lists
Tutti Words: (yellow)
Beat, Rhythm, Tempo, Dynamics, Melody, Pitch, Phrase, Form, solfège, Staff, Treble Clef, Meter, Timbre, Tutti, Unison
Grade 3 Words: (purple)
Forte, Piano, Mezzo Piano, Mezzo F., Fortissimo, Pianissimo, Adagio, Allegro, Moderato, Rondo, Repeat Sign, Fine, Skip, Step, Intro
Grade 4 Words: (orange)
Accent, Bar line, Crescendo, Decrescendo, Orchestra, Measure, Time Signature, Conductor, Ostinato, Harmony, Presto, D.C. al Fine
Grade 5 Words: (blue)
Octave, Legato, Theme, Major, Upbeat, Staccato, Coda, Minor, Ritardo, Fermata, A tempo, Canon, D.S. al Fine
Grades 6-8 Words: (red)
Soprano, Tenor, Chord, Key, Alto, Bass, Scale, Tonality, Slur, Counter melody, Natural, Inversion, Triad, Repetition, Accidental, Syncopation, Motive, Sharp, Flat, Articulation, Imitation, Variation, Sequence

I know these are very limited lists, but I had to condense them to what I could feasibly employ. I also geared some of the 6-8th grade words to compositional devices I present for composing recorder pieces. I have nothing regarding music history, as I touch upon this area so briefly. As a word (or words) is presented, the kids will copy it into their folder under the WOW list heading along with each definition.

My challenge is finding enough open wall space to mount the cards!