The Importance of Playful General Music in High School

Abstract

Play-based learning is a well-supported strategy in early childhood and elementary education. However, new research also suggests that teenagers learn well from playing, too. As some attempt to shift toward more learner-centered models, music teachers may find that they need to help students reconnect with the joy and play inherent in authentic learning. This column advocates four strategies to help reinvigorate the high school music class and turn it into an oasis of learning or a much-needed sanctuary in the middle of a student’s day. The strategies for using play-based learning with older students can get them more engaged with course content, make natural social emotional learning alignments, create opportunities for students to think differently, and enhance creativity and the desire to learn.