What Teachers Say

Evaluation comments after taking an APC course at Des Moines Public Schools:

Awesome-This was incredible. I would love to see DMPS incorporate this district wide.
My kids are doing fabulous. I am so happy I took this class. I can’t wait to start singing in July to get an earlier start on all the success. My kids are happier, I catch them singing while they read, on the playground…It’s great!

This year other than sp. ed. all of my kids are on grade level for reading with the exception of one who is a smidge below however, this particular student DID improve seven levels from a beginning kindergarten to end of second grade. J Math scores are high as well.

I am finishing my Masters on brain research and am going to implement more music in the fall in addition to what I have already this year. THANKS again for what you have done to make this happen.

My data is coming in, there is a definite difference between this year and every other year that I have taught. Half of my class is almost a full grade level ahead of where they need to be reading. I hope this class will be available next year for others to take.
Using music has made my lessons more engaging and motivating for the 4th grade students I work with!
This workshop was truly amazing. I had so much fun learning the songs and dances to use…I did feel the class was beneficial. I wish we were able to work more with our grade levels.
It is beneficial to sing the songs during the workshop so we can experience them ourselves.
Students are engaged in reading and singing and later adding movement to the lesson.
I am glad that you provide practice to learn the songs and actions. I really liked the lessons taught by other teachers, because I now have a collection of lessons I can draw upon. I will be interested in my children's scores at the end of the year. The disc was very helpful. I feel I have learned many things I can incorporate into my small groups.
I have always really thought that but was discouraged by my administrators from using this method as they thought it was just playing games.
This has been one of the best workshops that I have had the opportunity to take, and I appreciate the opportunity.
This was the best workshop I've taken in 25 years. It had kids in mind. We need to focus on the kids more. This workshop was the best thing I've seen! Hope we can have much more like this.
We have just started the TuneIN To Reading program to increase fluency and I would have never known about this program if I did not attend this class!
I have been using the singing to get kids moving, smiling, and to build community. It's also been great for transitions.
The kids are loving the folk tale books and songs. I guess I would have never have thought these would be so motivating for 5th graders, but I know they like it when they are asking to sing and dance during recess!!
Students more involved. Have found songs for all parts of curriculum. Have really seen a great improvement with my students.
We sing to learn vowel sounds.
We are using music more and if I forget one of our little song, the students tell me. I have a song that I made up to send them out the door before they leave for home. Even some parents said the children are singing in the shower and all the time at home.
I have been incorporating music into our daily routine.
I use music to introduce poems to help with fluency. I am using the Morning Song to teach number numerals & words, color words, and the alphabet.
I now use music in my teaching about 3-4 times a week.
I was singing songs before, but now we are singing different ones and i am adapting them to help my students learn different math and reading information.
Integrated Apple song with math facts for student recall. We going to start using the computer program for 10 students after school who are 1 year behind in reading.
I'm using singing for fluency and have purchased a singing phonics program to help teach letter patterns
I have started integrating music and singing into my weekly plans.
We sing. The overall morale of students has improved.
I have used the lesson cross curricular lessons-reading, language and math.
Yes, the students are more eager to try new things.
They are all actively participating.
Every transition is a song. I have a voice on Friday still, because I am not yelling for students to come to the carpet area.
Once I start singing, my students seem to be in a trance. They drop everything, join in singing, and move to the group area.
One of my students to me she could only read the poems in her book that she could sing.
I have begun to integrate music into my fourth grade reading groups. We focus largely on fluency- and this has greatly helped.
I have integrated more songs into helping my students learn their math facts. We've worked on singing songs to increase our fluency as well.
I start my after school program with singing. It wakes them up and gets the brain working.
I also have integrated lessons throughout my second grade small groups and whole group. I have told them we are working on becoming better readers by training our brains to multi-task.
I have used these songs...Who stole the Cookie. Circle Round the Zero. Blue, Blue, Blue, Who is Wearing Blue today? Peanut, Peanut Butter Jelly. With that one I made them a copy and they sing it, as well as read it. I have heard them singing these songs all over school.
I can see that by using music and actions the students are more involved and learn more quickly.
I have used the singing for transitional times to keep the focus of the students and prevent behavior problems.
I have always felt that music is very underappreciated in the classroom. I now feel confident that I have proof that music in the classroom works from the stats that were given to me in class. Now I don't have to worry about 'shutting the door' because somebody might walk in.
I received additional ideas to share with classroom teachers as far as how to bring music into the curriculum.
While I have done songs with kids for many years for the purposes of fluency, community building and fun, the workshop has taught me many other ways that certain types of songs can be especially valuable for cross training the brain. The songs that utilize movements and sequence and have a "game" like feel are getting lots more class time because of this workshop.
I have used more singing and more fun in my Math and Reading Lessons.
I have been teaching math with some songs.
Using music has made my lessons more engaging and motivating for the 4th grade students I work with!
This workshop was truly amazing. I had so much fun learning the songs and dances to use in the classroom. It's also been very helpful to share lesson plans for parallel concepts.