Playing with the Classics, Volume 1: Book & CD

Bennett's approach respects both teacher and student; she offers classroom-tested activities that work whether you're a seasoned early childhood specialist or new to teaching music to young children. The repertoire selections are genuinely beloved works that will stay with your students long after the lesson ends, and the included CD means you have studio-quality performances ready to use immediately. Activities balance structured learning with imaginative play, so children develop listening skills and musical awareness without feeling drilled.

Orchestral music comes alive through imagination and movement. Children encounter composers like Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Gershwin not as names on a page but as creators of sound worlds they can explore with their whole bodies. The activities preserve the music's charm and artistry while making it playful and accessible.

Early childhood and primary-grade music teachers, classroom teachers with music responsibilities, and parent educators working with preschool through first-grade children. This resource works equally well for someone with deep music training and for a teacher building confidence in music instruction. The fully reproducible format means you can adapt activities for your specific students and classroom setup.

• Use the CD as your primary audio source so children hear professional orchestral interpretations from the start; this establishes a standard of musicianship they'll internalize
• Pair movement activities with repeated listenings of the same excerpt so children build familiarity and confidence before adding new elements
• Invite children to share their own stories or images inspired by the music before introducing Bennett's suggested narratives, anchoring learning in their own creative thinking
• Create a dedicated listening corner with minimal visual distractions so children can focus on the orchestral colors and instrumental families they're encountering

Weave these activities throughout your year as regular listening experiences rather than one-time lessons; children who encounter Beethoven's Fifth in September and revisit it in February will develop deeper familiarity and ownership. Use the included CD during transitions, morning meetings, or calm-down times to build orchestral repertoire naturally into your daily routine. The reproducible materials also work beautifully as take-home activities that extend learning into family music time.

• Active listening and sustained attention to orchestral music
• Vocabulary for describing instrumental timbres and orchestral families
• Body awareness and gross motor coordination through structured movement to music
• Creative expression and storytelling inspired by musical elements
• Recognition of recurring musical themes and compositional structures