Milling to Music
Integrating Music and Literacy During Transitions (Virtual Tour)
Stage of Literacy Development:
Stage 0: Foundation for LiteracyStage 1: Beginning Literacy
Stage 2: Consolidation / Fluency
Ages:
3-8
Grade Range:
PreK K 1st 2ndFood Groups:
Primary:
Oral Language & ELL, Classroom Tips
Transcript
When I find that the students need a break, perhaps we've sat on the carpet for a long time, they need to stretch and to energize themselves, so one of my favourite activities to do with them is called milling to music. And what that means is I play a song or music and the students are allowed to stand up and move freely around the classroom. When the music stops, I think of a topic, they find an elbow partner or a friend near them and they begin having a conversation with that friend. For example, I may say today were going to mill to music and when the music stops youre going to find the friend beside you and youre going to tell them what you had for breakfast that morning. Or my question may be you're going to tell them what you wore on your hands today to school. Did you wear gloves? Did you wear mittens? Milling to music is a great strategy for students to be energized and move around the classroom, to get up and to move when theyve sat on the carpet for too long, especially for English Language Learners, to socialize and practice oral language among their friends.
Related References
Activity Objective
The goal of Milling to Music: Integrating Music and Literacy During Transitions (Virtual Tour) is to promote the development of listening and thinking skills by integrating music and literacy.
Quick Tips
Additional Comments:
- Milling to music re-energizes students between activities and lessons.
- Milling to music is an activity from Tribes Learning Community, a process towards a safe and caring learning environment.
- Incorporating music into your daily schedule encourages student participation and promotes motivation for literacy.
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