 The music
program at the San Francisco School is based on
Orff-Schulwerk, an internationally recognized approach to music and
movement education. This practice begins from the premise that every
child is innately musical and naturally loves to sing, dance, and play.
Children come to music once a week to exercise their musical imagination
through activities in rhythmic speech, games, movement, folk dance and
Orff instrument ensemble. An additional weekly singing time teaches
both song repertoire and group music making skills.
The preschool child's way of knowing is playful, exploratory, tactile
and inquisitive.
Orff's emphasis on both imitation and improvisation celebrates these
musical tendencies, while also building the foundation for future
development. Classroom teachers support and enhance these musical goals
by incorporating music into the curriculum: Playing classics, jazz,
and ethnic music during class time; teaching songs, finger plays,
rhymes and poems; scheduling instrumental and vocal performances by
staff, parents and guest artists, and permitting special times for
free dancing during celebrations.
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