Recorder Karate Belt and Playing Tests

Submitted by Don Avery, Xenia, Ohio

Idea posted December 10, 2003

I began Recorder Karate last year with my 4th and 5th graders. This year I wrote an "Advanced Recorder Karate" program for the second year students. They love it. While I do not grade the students on what belt they get, they do take playing tests about every four weeks. I try to pace the playing tests to the slower students. We take either a belt or playing test every class meeting. I meet with my students once a week and we play recorders for 20-22 weeks. After Recorder Karate is done, we move on to other recorder music, some of which I purchase and some of which I compose/arrange.