A Chinese New Year Game to Assess Rhythm Reading!

It’s back to school after a refreshing break, and I’m ready to jump back in! And since I’m learning to enjoy my breaks instead of always working through them, I needed to come back with something that didn’t take much planning–something that I can do across all my classes. With Lunar New Year coming up, I’m taking the opportunity to assess through a game that will also introduce my students to some different aspects of Chinese New Year. (I have students who celebrate Lunar New Year through many cultural lenses, but the biggest population celebrates Chinese New Year, and that is what is celebrated in my community, so that’s the lens I’m using.)

One of my colleagues thought of putting rhythm reading together with a matching game, and the kids LOVE it! Once they tried it, they wanted to play it every time they come to class.

There are lots of great things about it: 

1. They are reading and clapping rhythms, so I can assess individual students.
2. It’s totally customizable how big or small the game is (i.e., how much time I want to take with it).
3. It can be played collaboratively, so the class is working together, and everyone is encouraging and supporting one another!
4. I can insert little tidbits about Chinese music and Chinese culture throughout the game; just some “fun facts” and quick descriptions, so it’s not a boring lesson, but they are absorbing the information as we go.
5. Just by changing the rhythms that I use, I can set up the same activity for my Kindergarten classes all the way up through my Grade 5 classes.
6. We can differentiate within a single class, so students can get rhythms that are at the right level for their learning. 

I think I might try to spread this across a few days: one that focuses on the Chinese Zodiac, one focused on Chinese instruments, and one more general day with some of the symbols and traditions of the festival.

Check out the game here, and let me know how your students respond!