Before Reading

Lesson Plans for MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS level P

Before Reading

Building Background
Everybody likes music and children will know common instruments. Some will probably be taking music lessons or have family members who play instruments. Encourage children to share these experiences with their classmates. The new content of this book includes the classification of instruments into five categories of strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and keyboard. Instruments of the world also offer a chance to explore new vocabulary. The orchestra and various kinds of bands provide examples of how the instruments could be grouped together to produce different kinds of music.

Consult the school’s music teacher for resources that highlight some of the instruments that children will read about.

Introducing the Book

Before passing out the books, show children the front and back cover of the book. Ask: What do you see on the covers? What do you think the book will tell us about musical instruments? Say: We may not know the names of the special musical instruments on the cover, but they remind us of some familiar instruments. Ask: What are some of the musical instruments that you know? Turn to the title page and ask: How does the musician use this musical instrument to make music?

Book Walk
Pass out the book and have children scan the book with you to learn the important features of book structure.

Table of contents—Ask: If you wanted to read about musical instruments from other countries which page would you turn to? (page 19)
Section headings, pages 4, 6, 8, 16, 19, 26—Say: Notice how the title of Orchestras is the same in the table of contents and section heading.
Bold face terminology—Ask: Can you quickly find the word woodwind(s)? This word appears twice on page 11, and once on pages 12, 13, 16, 17, and 20. Say: Notice that bold face terminology is easier to see. It is a signal for an important word.
Visuals—Ask: How will the pictures help you understand the text?
Glossary—Say: The glossary is an aid to learn new vocabulary. Turn to page 26 and look at the definition of bow in the glossary, then look at the visual on page 9.

Reading Strategies
Tell children they will spend several days reading and the text will be divided into sections.
They will make a chart to help them remember and understand the different instruments.

Show children a familiar instrument (for example, toy drum, guitar). Ask: What is the name of this instrument? What is it made of? How do you play it? What kind of sound does it make? What type of instrument is it? Say: As you read the book, ask yourself these questions about the pictures that you see. Ask: How will the pictures in this book help us to remember what we read?

Think aloud strategy: Say: There are some new nouns in this book. First look at the new word and the picture. Close your eyes for a moment and remember the picture and the word and say the word to yourself. Open your eyes and look at both again

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