Music Report Comments for Cambridge Stages 4-6
Music covers making music (singing and playing alone and with others, improvising, composing and using notation) and making sense of music (listening and responding, the musical elements such as pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo and dynamics, and music from different times, places and cultures).
Below are 13 sample sentences for Stages 4-6: two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Extending / Secure / Developing / Beginning), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 440 music sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.
Jump to: Extending · Secure · Developing · Beginning · Writing tips
Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Extending E
Strengths
- Thinking about context, [Name] links features of music to its purpose, explaining for example why music for marching has a clear, regular beat.
- Leading a group warm-up or a short piece, [Name] gives clear signals to start, stop and change speed, and the group follows them well.
Next step
- Singing a three-part round and then a song with a separate harmony line would extend [Name]'s part-singing.
Secure S
Strengths
- In feedback to classmates, [Name] comments accurately on timing and balance in a performance and suggests a sensible improvement.
- During group composing, [Name] contributes ideas, listens to others and helps the group decide on a final version of the music.
Next step
- Drawing a simple timeline of changes in instruments, tempo and dynamics while listening will help [Name] describe music in more detail.
Developing D
Strengths
- Giving feedback to classmates, [Name] at times comments on timing or volume in their music with the help of a sentence starter.
- After the teacher models a quiet start, [Name] is learning to make controlled sounds on classroom instruments more often.
Next step
- Clapping the rhythm of a short word phrase, then playing it on one note, will help [Name] build a repeated pattern for compositions.
Beginning B
Strengths
- Playing alongside others, [Name] is starting to keep [his/her/their] part going for a few bars when the teacher counts in.
- In a small group, [Name] is beginning to share a sound or idea when the group makes up music together.
Next step
- Choosing a mood picture, such as happy or calm, after listening gives [Name] a simple way to begin talking about how music sounds.
Support at home
- Making simple instruments from things at home, such as a box, rice in a closed jar or two spoons, is a free way to explore sound.
How to write music comments for Stages 4-6
- Name the performance skill: singing in a round, playing a tuned instrument or keeping time in a group. A next step such as practising a tricky part slowly is clear.
- For composing, describe the structure the student used, such as a short piece with a clear beginning and end, and suggest one idea to add.
- Note whether the student uses musical vocabulary, such as tempo, dynamics or texture, when describing what they hear.
Watch out: Avoid assuming instrumental lessons or music at home, and avoid talent labels. Describe what the student did in class and one next step that needs no special equipment.
The four levels describe how independently and securely the student shows what has been taught, never a grade or a test result. Extending suits accurate, independent work applied to unfamiliar tasks, with reasons explained; Secure suits accurate work in familiar tasks with occasional support; Developing suits learning shown sometimes, or with a model, word bank or worked example; Beginning names what is starting to show and the support that helps. Show the level through the work rather than writing the level word.
What Music covers
Strands and skills covered for music:
- Making Music: singing and playing instruments alone and with others, with control and expression
- Making Music: improvising and composing, and using notation
- Making Sense of Music: listening and responding to music from different times, places and cultures, using musical vocabulary
- Making Sense of Music: the musical elements (pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture and structure) and features of styles and traditions
More Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary comments
- English, Stages 4-6
- English as a Second Language, Stages 4-6
- Mathematics, Stages 4-6
- Science, Stages 4-6
- Global Perspectives, Stages 4-6
- Computing, Stages 4-6
- Art & Design, Stages 4-6
- Music, Stages 1-3
- Music, Stages 7-9
- Physical Education, Stages 4-6
- Opening and closing sentences
- All Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary skills and grade bands
- For the same report: EAL / ESL Report Comments, Ages 5-18, ATL Skills Report Card Comments, Grades K-5 and ATL Skills and Learner Profile Report Comments, Ages 11-16
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How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge University Press & Assessment or Cambridge International Education. "Cambridge" is used only to describe the curricula these comments are written for.