Music Together is an award winning music program created to be used with children in any setting from homeschool to public school. Internationally used, this product has provided a structured music program throughout the world. They have worked to bring music to children everywhere.
For this review, I was asked to try out Music Together: Family Favorites with my children at home. When my package arrived, I found the Teacher’s Songbook, a full CD of music to use along with the program and a folder of information for completing my review. The covers for this particular program are green with black font that is simple yet professional in type.
The Music Together: Family Favorites Songbook for Teachers begins with a short preface explaining the purpose of the program, then provides a section of how to use the book for the program. Next is the Introduction which goes into further detail explaining the programs usefulness and purpose. The beginning of the book is a guide that tells the teacher how to use the program, what props to use along with the songs, and differing activities that are used as well as how to use them for each part of the program. This section also covers how to use this program with special needs students.
The next section of the Songbook for Teachers begins the lessons for the program. This section, called Songs, shares a different lesson for each song provided on the CD for the program. How to teach the song, activities, as well as lyrics for each song are covered within this section. The songs are further broken down to explain how to use them with children of differing ages from infant through school-age and also for special needs children.
The last section of the Teacher’s Songbook is a reference section, providing information on other books in the Music Together program. Also included is a guide for guitar playing to use with the songs for the program and a dictionary explaining the terms used throughout the program.
We used this program over a period of several weeks, while working with adjustments to having a new baby in the home, and we enjoyed what we were able to complete during that time. Music is a favorite of mine so I enjoyed teaching my children with this particular program. I also enjoyed sharing several of my own childhood favorites that we hadn’t already covered with other programming in the past. Songs like Biddy Biddy, She Sells Sea Shells, John the Rabbit, and I’ve Been Working on the Railroad allowed me to share a part of my own childhood with my children that we may have otherwise missed out on. And I found my children enjoyed those songs and others just as much as I did. Integrating activities like clapping along, using home-made drums and rhythm sticks, and singing together was a lot of fun to share as a family activity. Overall we give this program two-thumbs-up as far as lessons go.
Music Together: Family Favorites is available online as a combo package for the special price of $39.95 (a $5 discount from the regular price). Use the code “Schoolhouse” at checkout to receive an additional $2 off the program. The Songbook for Teachers is available to purchase separately for $29.95. The Family Favorites CD is available for $14.95. Individual tracks can be downloaded as needed for $.99 each or for $9.99 for the entire album.
For more reviews of Music Together: Family Favorites please visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew Blog!
*Disclaimer – This program was provided by Music Together and the Schoolhouse Review Crew free in exchange for my honest opinion in a blog post.
