ED1MCE3: Music, Children and Education 1

Module code: ED1MCE3

Module provider: Institute of Education

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Rebecca Berkley, email: r.m.berkley@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module teaches students how to use their musical skills to lead creative music making in educational settings, with particular emphasis on vocal leadership with primary-age children. The module focuses on building students’ own musicianship skills and aural acuity alongside their pedagogical and curricular understanding. It will nurture students’ fundamental skills in the teaching of composing, performing and listening through vocal leadership. Students will learn foundation level tonic solfa pedagogy and musicianship, techniques of leading singing in the classroom, and managing creative music making in the primary classroom. 

Aims 

• To introduce students to music teaching and learning in the classroom through learning solfa pedagogy 
• To enhance a student’s individual skills as classroom practitioner in music focusing on vocal leadership and classroom musicianship skills 
• To use and expand their existing musical skills as a foundation on which to build their music leadership skills. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate competence in classroom musicianship skills based on solfa pedagogy appropriate to teaching primary aged children 
2. Demonstrate the ability to teach musicianship based on healthy and effective singing and movement work with primary aged children in the context of the Music National Curriculum in KS1 and KS2  
3. Apply and critically appraise the musicianship skills developed to educational settings and their school based practice in music 

Module content

Throughout the module students engage in practical activity and academic study of:  

• Foundation level musicianship 
• Foundational level choral conducting for the classroom 
• Teaching with solfapedagogy 
• Vocal physiology in children 
• Development of aural acuity in children through practical musicianship, singing and chanting, moving to music and the development of musical literacy 
• Repertoire for classroom practical music making 
• Critiquing and evaluating resources for the classroom teacher 
• Questioning, assessment for learning, errors and misconceptions in musical learning in young children 
• Teaching musicianship in the Music National Curriculum 

The module makes reference to relevant and key aspects of the Primary Phase Curriculum and ITT Core Content Framework (CCF) to inform design. 

The online reading list for this module is available in the University library 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching and learning methods will model effective leadership in creative music making in theprimary classroom. Students will learn in practical workshops and seminars. Taught sessions will include a balance of tutor led instruction, group discussion, practical music making and individual practical activities. Sessions will be interactive in nature building on students’ prior knowledge. Students will be expected to develop leadership skills relating to classroom musicianship through individual study and formatively assessed workshops. The module has a Blackboard site with key material for the module. 

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

In weekly practical workshops, students undertake a number of peer and self-assessment tasks and are encouraged to learn to assess the quality of their work through interaction with their year group. Students are encouraged to use written self assessment tools to measure their progress, which are available on the module Blackboard site. Formative assessment of musical leadership is given part way through the module by review led by the tutor in an assignment surgery. 

Reassessment

Additional costs