The Top 5 Benefits of Playing the Recorder in Your Homeschool
I’ve heard it called a “rite of passage” for all kids. Well, I’m not sure I’d go that far, but I will say that there are some very good reasons and benefits to having your kids learn to play the recorder! Here are the top 5 benefits of playing the recorder in your homeschool.
The Top 5 Benefits of Playing the Recorder in Your Homeschool:
Practical Benefits
- Easily accessible when other instruments may be limited
- The recorder is small and portable
- Recorders are inexpensive
- They are similar in vocal range to that of children (whose voices haven’t changed)
- They are easy to play and to learn
Physical Development Benefits
- Playing the recorder helps with creative thinking and brain development: coordinate fingers, lips, and tongue while looking at music to read it and listening to an accompaniment to stay with it
- Develops fine motor skills, finger dexterity
- Builds hand-eye coordination and strengthens the use of left hand/right hand (much like piano lessons)
- Playing the recorder develops breath control which can help with wind or brass instruments, or singing
- Develops memory skills
Musical Growth Benefits
- Recorder playing helps kids learn to read music and learn music theory: rhythms, notes, articulations, and other music symbols and terms
- Develops listening and audiation skills
- Helps kids learn to play with an accompaniment
- Recorder playing prepares students to play band and orchestra instruments when they’re older (clarinet, oboe, flute, sax, etc)
Character Building Benefits
Playing the recorder is character building: determination, perseverance, self-confidence, discipline, and poise
Social Skills Benefits
Provides opportunities for teamwork and learning to work well with others
Video of the Benefits of Playing the Recorder in Your Homeschool
History of the Recorder
We tend to think of the recorder as a cheap plastic instrument that kids play in elementary school. But, idd you know that the recorder as a real instrument dates back to the Medieval Europe and continued to be popular throughout the Renaissance and Baroque periods? Composers such as Monteverdi, Bach, Purcell wrote lovely concertos for the recorder. The great Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi wrote this piece: Recorder Concerto in C!
How to Learn the Recorder in your Homeschool
A friend of mine and master teacher Jerry Berger wrote a beginning recorder course for Music in Our Homeschool called Recorder Time with Mr. Jerry.
If you’d like your kids to learn to play the recorder — or your kids are begging you to learn an instrument — this is the perfect place to start!
All you need is 15 minutes a day for a semester, and your kids will learn to play the recorder!
Learn more about Recorder Time with Mr. Jerry here:
The Best Recorder to Purchase
Recorders are inexpensive, but you don’t want to purchase a Dollar Store recorder! Why not? Watch this from Mr. Jerry to see which recorder he recommends.
How to Clean and Care for Your Recorder
If you’ve never owned a recorder, you may be wondering how to clean and care for your recorder. Check out the tips from Mr. Jerry here.
Recorder Instrument & Music Activity Pack
Here’s a fun activity to use in your homeschool as you’re learning (or thinking about learning) to play the recorder.
The Recorder Instrument & Music Activity Pack contains 27 pages of so much for for kids ages preschool through elementary. Find word searches, coloring pages, I Spy, prewriting skills pages, crossword puzzle, mazes, color by code, and more!
Head here to purchase the full 27-page set for only $5.50.
Or, download a Free 4-page Sample here:
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