On the morning of March 15th, I attended a class at Wanghu Road Primary School in Hefei. Teachers from each class had to use picture books in class at the same time, trying to integrate picture books with subject teaching. In other words, the rule of this class was: no matter what class you are teaching, try to incorporate a picture book!
I first looked at the schedule and the brief lesson plans. There were two classes I particularly wanted to sit in on: physical education (“The Boastful Frog”) and music (“Hen Rose Goes for a Walk”). I told Principal Hu that I actually thought PE and music were the two most important subjects in elementary school. It was mainly because they were my favorite subjects as a kid. Also, coincidentally, the music and PE teachers in the movie “The Chorus” shared the same sentiment. In short, I planned to sit in on the music class first, then sneak out to watch the PE class. However, once I sat down, I couldn’t leave until the music class was over.
It was mainly curiosity that drove me to stay. I was really curious to see what tricks these first-grade kids would come up with in the end.
At the beginning of the class, music teacher Li played a cheerful and vivid piece of folk music for the children, asking them to share what they heard. One child immediately excitedly said, “I heard ‘The Hen and the Fox’!” Haha, it turns out they already knew the story and immediately connected it to the target (guess I’ll have to keep this a secret from now on ^_^). The music the teacher played was actually “Quarrelling Ducks.”
Next, the teacher demonstrated percussion instruments like wooden fish, bells, and small gongs, even using plastic bags, and helped the children experience the difference between “walking” and “running.” The children were very engaged in this part, and I’m sure if the teacher asked them to recommend some ways to make different noises, they would definitely come up with new ideas. Children are really good at making noise (especially making trouble) O(∩_∩)O haha~
The class then moved on to the main part, with the teacher reading “Hen Rose Goes for a Walk” to the children. Judging from the children’s reactions, I believe most of them had already heard of the book, which is hardly unusual at Wanghu Road Primary School. I’m afraid the few who hadn’t heard of it were just the exception. Interestingly, however, these children were just as delighted and laughing as they reread the book, which really impressed me with the charm of classic picture books!
After reading it once, the teacher read it again, this time asking us to imagine, page by page, what instruments or objects could be used to compose the story’s plot. I then took the time to write on Weibo, “Rereading ‘Hen Rose Goes for a Walk’ from a musical perspective. It’s full of sounds. Using instruments and objects to simulate them, keeping in mind the rhythm of the story, we can compose it with music!”—it was indeed a great idea.
After the teacher finished explaining and demonstrating each page, she began distributing small musical instruments to the children and asked them to work in groups to figure out how to dub the book. During this session, the teacher visited each group to check on the children’s progress. From an observer’s perspective, some groups were genuinely engaged in their thinking and experimenting, but many were still preoccupied with their instruments, appearing somewhat distracted.
The research session concluded. The teacher organized a live concert for the children, officially composing the book’s soundtrack. The method was: each time a page was turned, a group of children would collectively perform the music for that page. When the next page was turned, the next group would take over, and the process would continue in this order.
Overall, the performance progressed smoothly to the end, and class was almost over. During the performance, a few groups of children did show some originality, creating some rhythmic and vivid sounds. However, the majority of the children seemed to be still in the exploratory stage. While the children who were making the sounds certainly had a lot of fun, the children who were listening in were less interested and seemed to be creating more other sounds, making the performance a bit noisy overall.
After the class, I congratulated Teacher Li. I thought that as an experimental class, the creativity of this class was very good, and at least the children enjoyed it. There is nothing more valuable than letting children have fun in a creative way.
But I couldn’t help but wonder: if I were to play the “Hen Rose Goes for a Walk” musical game with the children myself, how would I make it more fun for both myself and the children? I kept thinking about it after class, and even after returning to Beijing, I still found time to think about it.
I think there are a few principles we can first consider. What do I hope children gain from this experiential musical picture book drama class? My approach is: appreciation; enjoyment; imitation; and creativity. For younger children or beginners, the first three are probably the most important. So, while I do some creative “composition” activities with children, I prioritize appreciation and imitation.
Today’s classrooms often advocate “giving the classroom back to the children,” allowing them to take ownership of the classroom. This is true, but it places even greater demands on teachers, who serve as facilitators. Teachers must employ advanced techniques to create a structured environment for children; otherwise, in a chaotic and chaotic environment, no one can concentrate on learning. For example, what kind of environment is most essential in a musical class? Much like a real musical, a quiet and orderly environment is crucial. At a concert, the sound of music, appropriate applause, and cheers are welcome, but irrelevant noise should be minimized to ensure a high-quality enjoyment of the music. Therefore, in such a classroom, teachers must meticulously cultivate a sound environment that encourages lively responses from children while ensuring that everyone remains silent and focused when quiet is needed.
In addition, I think that as a musical picture book drama, integrity is also very important. It is necessary to allow everyone present to fully appreciate the entire process from beginning to end, regardless of whether it is good or bad.
Based on the above principles, I think this class might be more exciting if we make some slight changes in its organization.
First, we should consider building a simple stage in the classroom, perhaps by separating the podium. For a more complex approach, we could consider creating an orchestra pit on one side for those performing the background music, while retaining a performance stage where children could act out their roles in the play and use their bodies to create sounds like footsteps or clapping. The remaining area would then serve as the auditorium.
After dividing the areas, agree on some rules with the children: for example, they can only make the necessary noises to the music when they are on stage or in the orchestra pit. In the audience, they can clap and laugh, but not make any noise that disrupts the music, unless the teacher is leading everyone in rehearsal. Playing with rules with first graders can include some fun code words so that once a code word is given, the children know how to react.
After telling the story once, it’s time for everyone to rehearse. Consider dividing the class into groups by assigning roles. Initially, prioritize the more perceptive children, primarily to set an example. For example, when Rose the hen appears, have several students imitate her footsteps. Since the hen is constantly walking, this hen group can continue to imitate them. Similarly, the fox group can continue to imitate them. As more characters enter the stage, the teacher can continue to pass on new instruments. While the previous group continues, the following instruments gradually join in. At this point, the teacher becomes a conductor, so it’s best to have a baton ready. For conducting techniques, refer to the French films “The Great Escape” and “The Chorus.”
During rehearsals, the conductor must scout for talent on the spot, ensuring they find young performers who can handle the first demonstration, understand the material, and demonstrate dedication, commitment, and minimal laughter. This is essential. So after one or two rehearsals, the conductor might assemble a band on the spot and invite them to perform. If a pantomime performance is included, the number of performers and performers will be even greater.
During the official performance, the rules are very important: non-performers are not allowed to make any noise unrelated to the performance (except for applause and cheers). Therefore, the teacher has to play the role of conductor and concert hall security to ensure the smooth running of the performance.
The performance should be performed from beginning to end. Afterward, a new band can be formed and a new round of performances can begin. Of course, the goal is to give as many children as possible the opportunity, but honestly, it’s impossible for so many children to try their hand at the stage one by one. When the teacher estimates the time is almost up, the stage performance can be turned into a group extravaganza, meaning all children have instruments and, under the guidance of a conductor, experience the performance as a whole.
There’s a principle: you don’t need every performance (or rehearsal) to be perfect. Mistakes and confusion are normal and expected, but you should at least try to get close to optimal results once. This effect can leave a very lasting impression on children: it turns out that in addition to making mischievous noises, we can also create such beautiful music with our own hands O(∩_∩)O Haha~
Regarding the group music research component, I think it’s a bit too demanding for first graders and beginners, so it’s worth dropping. Also, some of the explanations of music theory terms could be omitted. This leaves more time for children to experience firsthand, which I think is what experiential classes most need.
The A‑League was held in Beijing on March 22, 2012.
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Attached are some photos I took on site. I only had my iPhone with me at the time, so the results aren’t very good. Sorry about that :)
