You may need the "far out" kind of theory book that is described on http://mustec.bgsu.edu/~wallace .  The title is, Creative Music Theory Skills.  It is FUN and effective.

Consider having your 8th graders mentor or sometimes 'teach' the younger kids.  Of course you'll have to guide both the teaching and learning but the kids generally will work well with each other.

 

Brian

Dan,

If your school has the resources for a computer lab and funding to purchase a program called Music Ace Maestro, consider cycling your children through the sessions in this fun and helpful music theory program.  There are over forty sessions and each  contains a lesson and a game.  The scope covers a wide range of topics from the very basics of pitch and rhythm to some areas that will probably exceed the needs of most junior high music students.  If used creatively, this program may allow you to assigned particular lessons to each grade level, or student grouping, while also providing review and reinforcement for kids who need a little extra help in particular topics.  This program along with some additional shorter classroom lessons and assessments may help your situation.  I have had lots of success when using this program with junior and senior high school students.  Good luck to you.

 

Eric Anthony

Parkway West High School

St. Louis, MO

 Dan,

 

I too find that knowledgable eighth graders love to "teach" the class.  I actually turn the podium over to an aspiring "teacher" and find that EVERYONE in the classroom becomes engaged when a young "teacher" is in charge.  The young "teacher" usually gains more appreciation for what YOU do and everyone realizes YOUR mastery.  It's a great training ground for all.

 

To teach theory and ear training I use the actual music we are learning, so that examples are different from year to year.  Each class period, I try to extract 4 to 8 measures of music that we will be working on that day and put them on the board for everyone to see.  We might focus on rhythm, pitch (solfege), meter, key signature or a combination of all the above.  I seek to accomplish ear training by having the choir echo me in solfege patterns or in performing cool scale and chord exercises.  Some of these exercises have become favorites that returning 8th graders will remember and ask to do the following year!

 

Our middle school situations sound similar.  I wish you all the best!  This is such an important age in developing choral skill and appreciation in students.

 

Janet Hostetter

Dan, I had a similar problem when teaching in Dubai, and have now developed a fully differentiated music theory course based in the keyboard lab. It works great , has had excellent press, has sold internationally and is inexpensive. Students learn at their own pace, help and evaluate each other, and play what they learn on a keyboard (or mallet percussion). I would be happy to send you a free sample or check it out on my site.

 

Michael Griffin

 

I teach at a small school, with a choir of 30 from 9-12 grades.  I have developed a 4-year plan for music theory (no aural theory yet as we don't have a lab) where any first year student in choir begins in Book 1 (a workbook), whether they are a freshman or senior.  Each year they progress to the next year's book.  All assignments are done outside of class time (1 per week), and are fully explained in the workbook.  Students know they are free to come to me with any questions, but there are usually very few because all of the material is explained well in the workbooks.  Each year builds upon the previous year, and by year 4, students are transposing, arranging, and composing.

 

My PDP for my license renewal has been the preparation of this music theory curriculum, and my next PDP will be the addition of aural theory and piano skills.

 

Since our class periods are between 41 and 48 minutes, there just isn't time to spend directly teaching music theory.  WIth these workbooks, they get the knowledge and then we put it to use in the classroom during rehearsals. 

 

Can't wait to have a music lab w/aural theory and piano capabilities, but until then, this system is working well.