033 - How to Teach Music Literacy Using Color

If you walk into an elementary classroom, you might notice that everything is color-coded: signs and charts on the wall to labels on bins to pieces of tape marking certain spots on the floor.This is because colors are easy for most young children to recognize and differentiate between.But in music, our baseline is black and white, the colors of standard notation.For this reason, color can be a helpful tool when teaching music literacy and developing music-reading skills. Elementary educator Amy Curletto wrote, “When we use color in a systematic way it can help students retain information better than just using black and white.” (source)Today, I’m sharing four simple, unique strategies to use color to teach music literacy.For show notes + full transcript, click here.Resources mentioned:*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.Why You Should Be Color-Coding Your Classroom (James Stanfield)BoomwhackersColored handbellsColored chime bands by ChimeWorksElectrical tape for color-coding handchimesRainbow-colored hair ties for color-coding instrumentsColor-coded chord cardsColor-coded fabric staff — available in two sizes: Junior (18"x14") and Large (28"x28")Colored markersColored dot stickers for color-coding handchimes or creating your own colored music chartsColored music notation stickersFlat.io — create your own colored notation!ChimeWorks Icon Chart12x12” colored cardstock — great for illustrating musical formColored bean bags — a fun way to analyze musical formErasable pens — my students love these!Highlighters are great for marking repeated patterns or phrasesThe Psychology of Color: How Do Colors Influence Learning? (SHIFT eLearning)Colored pencils are great for marking dynamics or adding your ownWashi tapeIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew