THE 7 ESSENTIAL PRACTICES OF SUCCESSFUL SIGHT READING CHOIRS TCDA Session 7/25/15

Monica Muscato

Pflugerville High School Choirs monica.muscato@pfisd.net

1. Plan backwards.

Know where you are heading: study past UIL sight reading octavos and determine the skills your students will be expected to know.

EX. If your JV girls are heading to 3 part SSA, they should start those octavos in January, begin 2 part reading in November, unison/chords/scales from September until November.

2. Start at the beginning.

“If they can’t sight read in unison, they can’t sight read in parts.”

Solidify the foundation before you move on to a new layer. 3. Know your resources.

What do you have and what do you need?

Do you not have enough? Buy them. Do you have too many? Stay with the newer years of UIL reading.

Use a calendar and plan your resources from April backwards. 4. Develop good habits early.

Be diligent!! Hand signs, using the pitch ladder, singing in phrases, reading dynamics, etc.

Sight read in some way, somehow, EVERY DAY.

Utilize drills: Find scales and chord drills that make sense for your final outcome and use them every day.

5. Sight reading time is UIL sight reading time.

Stick to the practices, skills, and concepts your students will be tested on in the sight reading room.

Save activities that focus on other aspects of sight reading for extension and enrichment OUTSIDE of the sight reading for the day.

6. Use a variety of strategies to reinforce skills.

Don’t just sight read octavos over and over!

EX. Practice reading ahead while counting, use dynamic flashcards in warm-ups to teach quick recognition and application of dynamic, play games (go back to the previous years’ convention notes and find the sessions on games), etc.

7. Practice the procedure.

The first time your students hear “TIME’ should not be in front of judges

Practice walking in your room, music at the side, etc. Practice EVERYTHING!!