#9: Using the Free Site 4four.io for Music Activities

When we return to the elementary music classroom after some time away, whether it was a long break, a short break, or you only see your students during a seasonal term, we will want to do some retrieval practice to assess their musical skills. The free website 4four.io can be a wonderful tool to help create activities for assessment purposes, games, or retrieval practice.

What is 4four.io?

4four.io is a free learning platform for musical rhythms created by Matt Mundell. The site includes:

Many rhythm and sight reading trainers.
A rhythm generator and other teaching tools.
Online instruments like the ones found in an elementary classroom inspired by Orff Schulwerk.
Online, interactive Bingo and Memory Games.
Teacher-student support.
Interactive tapping rhythms and matching sounds.
Support to work on mobile devices, tablets, laptops, Chromebooks, etc.

There are more tools and items built into this website. Plus, on the “About “ page, Matt spells out how data is stored on the servers in case you would like your students to use this site on their devices. And, the site is free to use.

Activity #1: Rhythm Dice Activity for the First Day Back

For more than 25 years, I've been an elementary music educator who has enjoyed creating musical dice from all sorts of materials. While I appreciate the benefits that utilizing tactile manipulatives can have in my classroom, I also recognize the value of incorporating interactive technology to enhance these tools. Striking a balance between the two allows me to better connect with my students' learning strategies and needs.

After clicking on the dice, it's important to set the dice for the specific activity by accessing the settings (gear ⚙️) immediately. In the upcoming first-grade lesson, we will be reviewing rhythm patterns including quarter notes (crotchets), half notes (minims), eighth notes grouped (quavers), and a quarter rest. While I will be using four dice, feel free to use anywhere from one to four dice.

Here are the steps to follow to engage your students with interactive activities:

Click "OK" once you have set the desired parameters.
Click the full-screen button to eliminate any distractions on the screen.
Have a student approach the interactive board or device and click on "Roll."
Have the student perform the pattern.
Once done, if the student performs accurately, encourage the entire class to echo the performance.
If the pattern is not performed accurately, use your preferred method of correction to help the student perform the pattern correctly.
This might involve asking the student to try again, repeating the rhythm to help them identify inaccuracies, or requesting a different student to assist the current student.

Rubric

As the students perform, you can assess them with this rubric, or a rubric that you create that works well for your students.

4 - The student read and performed the rhythm pattern with 75-100% accuracy with no assistance from the teacher.
3 - The student read and performed the rhythm pattern with 75-100% accuracy with some assistance from the teacher.
2 - The student could only perform the rhythm pattern with guidance from the teacher.
1 - The student is not ready to perform the rhythm pattern yet.

Activity #2: Melodic Pattern Activity for the first day back

In my classroom, I have an interactive whiteboard that I write on. Therefore, I might begin the first day back with a melodic activity where I would write S (sol), M (mi), and L (la) so that they would sing the rhythm patterns on those pitches.

If you do not have an interactive whiteboard, try using the Page Marker Extension from the Chrome Web Store so you can draw on the web browser. This is very helpful if you are using a Chromebook as your teaching device. Please check with your IT before installing any extensions on your school device.

Want to send the link to your students or embed it into your own site?

You can do both of those! By clicking on the link icon (🔗), 4four.io will give you a link for sharing and a link for embedding.

As you explore this activity, take some time to deep dive into the entire site. There are so many ways you can use this in your classroom with one device projecting onto a screen to a 1:1 classroom where the students log in and complete activities.

Want to see more activities using 4four.io?

Please also check out Midnight Music’s article “free music tech resource highlight: 4four.io” written by Katherine Miller. She gives five ways to use 4four.io in the classroom to get your students practicing rhythms.

come back tomorrow for #8!

Come back tomorrow, which is Christmas Day, to check out another “First Day Back” activity, and don’t forget to visit yesterday’s New Year’s Rhythm Play-Along video!

Countdown to 2024: 10 Elementary Music Activities for a First Day Back to School #9