Blue Jello Cards

The blue jello cards - set 1 are used to teach beginning to advanced students a fun vocabulary of rhythmic words for reading rhythms, writing rhythms, understanding note and rest values and notating compositions.

Since notes carry information for both pitch and rhythm, initially it is helpful to learn rhythm separately from melody. Blue jello cards use stylized note shapes to direct students' eyes to the part of the note that indicates rhythmic duration. The fun sounds of blue jello words help students understand how notes and rests are grouped into beats. The blue jello notes and rests are spaced accurately on the cards so students can understand how short and long sounds are written. This system makes it easier to learn rhythmic patterns that by traditional methods seem difficult.

In recent years, Michiko has developed an innovative concept of using hand signs to form notes and rests, making it easier to learn how the notes and rests are drawn. This valuable kinesthetic element improves comprehension and makes it more fun to learn all the interesting possibilities of rhythms.

About Teaching Rhythm with Blue Jello Cards

The blue jello cards are used to read rhythms and not used as flash cards. The cards are positioned in front of the students and read together with the teacher. The students imitate the teacher's voice, pronunciation, tempo, rhythm and use of the words. Students learn the blue jello hand signs by watching the teacher and looking at the pictures on the chart.

Initially these cards should be used in a specific order using the small numbers printed in the corner of each card. When using the cards in order, each blue jello symbol is introduced one at a time and practiced with previously learned symbols before a new one is introduced. Usually each card is read one time through at a tempo of about 60=mm with two beats between each card. Occasionally it's okay to stop and talk about a card for a moment.

The blue jello words have been carefully developed during more than thirty years of teaching by Michiko. To students they simply sound fun and easy-to-remember, but each word is chosen for its clarity, meaning and timbre. When spoken they are modified slightly to fit the rhythmic patterns.

The number of cards used in a session depends on the age of the students, how much time is available and how many times they have worked with the cards in the past. The youngest students may be content with 10 cards while older ones can do 20 - 30 cards. Students are happy to continue regular blue jello sessions to gain fluency. The cards are valuable for review and are used in various games.

With blue jello words, it is possible to learn more complicated rhythms as easily as simple ones. In fact, students love the "complicated" ones the most. There is a lot of variety of patterns in the cards that students find engaging. The pacing and sequence of the patterns on the cards is carefully thought out for students of all ages.

About the Blue Jello Cards

The cards are printed on both sides in a size that works well for individual or group teaching situations. There are 58 patterns and two useful charts: One with the blue jello words and matching symbols and another with photos of the blue jello hand signs.

When used with games from the book Music Mind Games, these cards help students:

• learn the difference between a note and a rest
• learn a fun vocabulary to read rhythms easily
• learn a vocabulary to make it easier to identify rhythms they hear
• learn the values of basic notes and rests and their relationship to each other
• learn to keep a steady beat when reading rhythms
• learn to recognize and read note groupings
• learn fun hand signs to help understand rhythms easier and increase memory and understanding of how notes and rests are drawn
• prepare for card games using rhythm playing cards and notes and rests cards

The blue jello cards can be used independently and in combination with real rhythm cards, rhythm playing cards, notes and rests cards, magic notes and magic wands.

Blue jello cards can be used to play such games as: Blue Jello Cards, Blue Jello Bingo, Blue Jello Tic Tac Toe, Note and Rest Hunt and Double Bar Sit Down.

Features

• There are blue jello hand signs so students use kinesthetic learning while adding even more fun to learning rhythms.
• Blue jello cards can now be taught in a specific order to facilitate understanding.
• Each new note or rest is introduced one at a time. The new note or rest first appears on one card in context with previously learned notes and rests. The next card features only the new note or rest. This sequence is followed by several cards with the new note or rest and previously learned notes and rests.
• Blue jello cards may also be mixed up and combined together for reading and games.
• Colored borders help students stay focused.
• The centers of each card are white so they are easier to read.