Timbre Assessments

Are you doing assessments for your end of the year report cards?  One of the areas that I want to assess is how well children perform music in choirs, Orff ensemble, on unpitched instruments, recorder, ukulele or guitar.

Types of Voices:  Speaking, Singing, Whisper, Shouting, “Thinking”

In most music curriculums, children in K-1-2 are expected to be able to:
1. use each of the types of voices
2. identify each of the types of voices.
I really enjoy teaching about timbre - types of voices, timbre of classroom instruments and timbre of orchestral instruments and orchestral instrument families.  For an informal assessment, put the posters on the ledge and say a phrase using one of the voices.  Have the children point to the type of voice they hear.
 

Song #9 This is My Speaking Voice 

This is a great lesson in Musicplay for Kindergarten on types of voices.   The lesson includes many opportunities to assess informally if children perceive and understand speaking, singing, whisper, shouting and thinking voices.
In the activity, children learn a simple poem, and then say the poem using two kinds of voices - one voice for the first two lines, and another voice for the last two lines.  You can do this activity with the PDF printables (the posters shown above) as manipulatives.  Or with the Interactive activity below. 

The posters are printables on MusicplayOnline (song #7 in Kindergarten)

To purchase:
- Order them in the Vocal Exploration Card Set on TPT.    
- Order Vocal Exploration Cards Canada
- Order Vocal Exploration in USA
 

You can do the activity interactively from the SMART Board	If you want to do a formal assessment, this is a printable assessment on types of voices In Musicplay K (This is My Speaking Voice)  - or Musicplayonline, song #7 in Musicplay K

 
 
Timbre of Classroom Instruments

In most music curriculums, children in K-1-2 are expected to be able to:

1. Identify classroom instruments visually
2. Identify classroom instruments aurally
3. Classify rhythm instruments as woods, metals, drums or shakes/scrapes

In the Instruments Unit at www.musicplayonline.com there are interactive activities:

Classroom  Instrument Bingo   Order in Canada     Order in USA

Rhythm  Instrument Fun   Order in Canada     Order in USA

 
 
Timbre of Orchestral Instruments

In most music curriculums, children in Grades 2-6 are expected to be able to:

1. Identify orchestral instruments visually
2. Identify orchestral instruments aurally
3. Classify orchestral instruments as woods, woodwinds, brass, strings and percussion

 
Orchestra Bingo 

This resource is a great way to learn about instruments of the orchestra and instrument families.  (There is a version of the game at www.musicplayonine.com.) . This game has always been my last lesson before a holiday.
 

Order either print/disk Or download version     Order in Canada   Order in USA