3 Strategies for Independent Practice in the Elementary Music Room
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I’s a Tuesday morning, the end of May. I chant: “Toooooday in 3rd grade music!” (the kids chant back) “We’re gonna do some independent practice!”
All the third graders know exactly what that means.
Can elementary music students practice independently?
The short answer is yes! IF - and that’s a big if - they are set up for success. That’s where my top 3 strategies for elementary music class independent practice come in:
Easy access to foundational knowledge and materials
Use of zones
Partner work and assigning “Expert Helpers”
It wasn’t until I mastered these strategies (you know, putting structure and systems in place) that my 3rd grade recorder students started to practice independently successfully without much intervention. Incorporating independent practice time affords me the ability to listen to and help students one-on-one and do as much assessment as I need.
If you’d like to use these tried and true strategies in your elementary music room or at home, keep reading!
Strategy 1: Easy access to foundational knowledge and materials
I can hear the 3rd graders coming down the hall. I quickly grab my sheet of colorful stickers and meet them at the door to my classroom…
“If you brought all of your recorder materials today, get ready for a sticker on your recorder folder!”
This may be the most important strategy I utilize for successful independent practice in the elementary music room. Without providing introductions and continued access to all of the foundational knowledge that is required to learn new material and skills independently, it is close to impossible for students to progress in this setting.
To accomplish this, we spend at least a month or two of instructional time learning how to identify note letters on the staff, how to read fingering charts, and practicing HOW to play and effectively practice music on the recorder together. I then provide the tools that students need in multiple different locations and make them super accessible.
These materials include a recorder intro packet that has reminders about playing technique and recorder care, all of the sheet music organized in order of difficulty, recorder fingering charts, etc. I keep extra copies of that packet in our writing station with pencils. I also created a “Recorder Station” bulletin board display which has large-format fingerings that students can work near in the Learning Zone:
Strategy 2: Use of Zones
1 split my classroom into two zones during independent practice time: the “Learning Zone” and the “Testing Zone”. We do Recorder Karate testing (click here to check out the curriculum) but if you don’t follow a play-to-earn type of program, you could call this the “Listening Zone” or “Help Zone” instead!
Tips for setting up a “Learning Zone”:
Use space on the opposite side of the classroom from the Testing Zone
Let students choose whatever spot and situation they are able to focus the best in
Provide multiple different seating options and small areas within the Learning Zone if possible
Materials like pencils, extra copies of sheet music, posters with relevant info, etc. should all be accessible in the Learning Zone
I’ve noticed that for most students, the Learning Zone offers an extremely helpful level of flexibility to find what environment works for them: for some, that’s a quiet corner alone. For others, they thrive in small group huddles. Some like to sit or lie on the floor, some prefer chairs with a music stand. Essentially, they differentiate for themselves. They are also in charge of figuring out what it is they need to be working on
“But Lauren - how do you MANAGE the classroom with so much freedom and flexibility?”
First of all, the students are motivated to be ready to come to the testing zone. They are encouraged from the beginning, before we start any of this, to make sure they are READY ready, which requires them to focus and use the learning zone for independent practice. They’re writing note letters in their music if needed, they’re figuring out rhythms, they’re working on their fingerings or playing through a piece. If students are abusing the freedoms that the Learning Zone affords (they aren’t focused on the tasks at hand), I remind them all that I will not hear them for earning their recorder karate belts. Plain and simple.
If you aren’t doing testing, find another way to motivate your students to work hard. For instance, in order to become Expert Helpers they must xyz during independent practice time…more on this later.
Tips for setting up a “Testing Zone”:
Use your normal teaching or seating/rug area as the Testing Zone
Establish that if students are in that area, it means that they are ready to have you listen to them - it is NOT a zone for practicing! Finger practicing or following along in their own music is fine, though
Once in the Testing Zone, they are quiet and supportive listeners to whomever is sharing with me
It is completely voluntary to join the Testing Zone, however, if I haven’t had a student join me there for a while I will prompt the class by saying: “if I don’t hear you, I can’t help you!” and encourage them to come and share what they’ve been working on, even if (or especially if!) they aren’t quite happy with it yet.
Strategy 3: Partner work and “Expert Helpers”
A student walks up to me on the testing rug and asks: “but Ms. Cecchini, is this the regular F or the one with the hashtag?”…
Instead of answering that question cause, you know, I’m in the middle of listening to Billy play his recorder black belt song, I whisper: “Have you checked in with an expert helper?”
Once students start on their independent practice journey, it really is that - an independent journey. Each student will progress at their own rate and have their own strengths and weaknesses. As long as students understand that that’s ok, they are way more open to taking advantage of learning from each other and seeking help.
During independent practice time, I encourage my students to partner up as long as they can focus. If they can find a friend who is working on the same song as them, that is a perfect opportunity for them to play through it together! It helps with engagement and my students really do progress much more rapidly with support from each other.
If a student comes up and asks me for help with something (without actually joining the testing zone), I often point them in the direction of a classmate who is working on the same song! Encouraging this kind of collaboration is key to fostering a community of learners that thrive together as well as helping students develop their independence.
Ok let’s talk about how to create the role of “Expert Helper”:
Explain what it is - once a student has achieved a learning milestone in our curriculum (we use earning a particular belt), I announce to the whole class that they are now an Expert Helper
Students are also told to check in with an Expert Helper at any point during independent practice time, our Expert Helpers are available and have proven that they know the songs and techniques well enough to help.
Part of the responsibility of being an Expert Helper means that they are not allowed to say “no” if a student approaches them for help. For the most part, our Expert Helpers take the job super seriously, are very proud, and become wonderful resources for their classmates. Creating this role also helps motivate students to focus and progress during independent practice time, cause who doesn’t want to be an Expert Helper?!
Final Thoughts
Before you implement these strategies, you must know that we spend a LOT of time exploring and reviewing expectations before beginning independent practice time. Once you have clearly explained the systems to your elementary music students and they fully understand the structure, then and only then are they going to thrive with a large chunk of independent practice time.
Start small - 10 minutes max, and work your way up to longer stretches of time. By the end of the year, with these systems in place, my students can easily spend almost an entire 40-minute class period working productively and INDEPENDENTLY, if need be. This allows me ample time to assess and help one-on-one in the testing zone.
Independent practice time is especially helpful as students prepare to apply their ability to sightread and learn new playing techniques on trickier band and orchestra instruments and sets them up for successful practicing at home!
Do you have any independent practicing tips to share? Leave a comment and let me know!
Thanks for reading and happy teaching!
:),
Lauren
