Sight-reading Module for Middle School Band

Sight-reading is one way for middle school band students to demonstrate musicianship. If the students are very good at sight-reading, then the level of musicianship is high. The researcher has created an organized module addressing methods of how to teach middle school band students to sight-read effectively. A working definition of sight-reading is playing a work of music accurately the first time it is seen by a performer. At the middle school level, performers must be able to play a steady beat, play accurate rhythms, demonstrate correct eye movements, and recognize patterns of notes to be an effective sight-reader. The students in this study were exposed to activities and lessons that addressed these four aspects of sight-reading. After the study was concluded, the researcher determined that the sight-reading abilities of the students increased. The students became aware of the skills necessary to be effective sight-readers. The most effective lesson of this study was the rhythm lesson. The least effective lesson was the eye movement lesson. The rhythm lesson allowed the students to become familiar with common rhythms, increasing their abilities to perform

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Danielle Sabol was awarded her Bachelor of Music degree in 2003 from Youngstown State University and her Master of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 2008. She resides in Lumberton, North Carolina. Ms. Sabol teaches middle school band in Pembroke, North Carolina.