This ESL-friendly class is a mirror of the remote preschool and kindergarten music classes I currently teach in a public school system in Massachusetts. At this age, music is best learned and enjoyed through the core elements of active-music making: singing, dancing, moving, chanting, rhyming, keeping the beat, experimenting with instruments or sounds produced using the body, and exposure to varying music styles and prominent musicians of past and present. 

My classes are highly structured. In my experience, this suits young learners with diverse abilities and learning styles. Students need to know what they will be doing in class and what to expect when they arrive. When students arrive in the Zoom room, they will be greeted with music playing and a picture schedule (also with words) which is screen-shared. The classes are about 90% interactive, and the other 10% involve screen-sharing media, but mostly for the purpose of listening to music. 

One really cool aspect of my music classes is that each month I feature a different musician to learn about and listen to. The Musician of the Month aims to break down euro-centrism in education by incorporating musicians and styles from diverse backgrounds and abilities. I have successfully used this model in my classroom for 5 years. Often, we are moving, tapping, and dancing along to the music. Sometimes it takes the form of simply watching and listening to a short clip at the end of class. 

As a side-note, I have never been an advocate for using screens to educate, and have had to understand how to use it as a tool for communication since the pandemic began. I still believe that students benefit most from moving and singing, and never ever allow my classes to become passively screen-based. As previously stated, this class is about active music-making. I would invite parents and even smaller siblings to join us! I hope to see you soon!

*Many students with varying educational disabilities have enjoyed this class as well, even when they were outside the recommended/specified age range. If your child has atypical learning needs and is not in the age range I have provided in this listing, please know that they are welcome and that the class may well be appropriate and enjoyable for them. I would appreciate a message and any information I should know prior to their coming to class if you feel it is necessary. I consult with my wife--a speech pathologist and former public school special educator--about my approach with diverse learners.

NOTE: This class's calendar school schedule ends in June, but the class continues into the summer. In September, the material will re-start. Please let me know if you have any questions!