I created these cards to help teach rhythm notation in KS2 using a rhythm line to read and clap rhythms. I print the easier ones (quavers, crotchets, minims and semibreves with no rests) on yellow, the less easy ones (including rests) on green and the hardest ones (trickier rhythms with rests, dotted quavers/semi-quavers etc) on orange - the children like the challenge of being able to move to a harder level. I start to use these in Year 3 (in conjunction with rhythm boxes at first), once most of the children are able to confidently feel the beat and clap along steadily. The activity sheet gives ideas for their use.

Rhythm Notation cards. Each A4 card has one bar in 3/4 time, from minims, crotchets and quavers, to trickier combinations including rests and semi-quavers and dotted note values.

I use these cards in KS2 as a listening activity to promote listening with concentration and attention to detail. In some classes I will use all of the cards, but in others some will be omitted (some are more difficult to identify or have simpler language than others). I hand out the cards to appropriate children depending upon ability (and some children will have more than one), and as they listen, they hold up their card when they identify the element it shows. Discussion at the end clears up any misconceptions, cards not held up (either because child did not identify it or because it was not present) etc, and children become increasingly familiar with relevant terminology.

Three matching games to help children to become familiar with the names of an increasing variety of different instruments: Classroom Percussion Matchup - 18 of the most-used, untuned classroom percussion instruments to match with the correct name Instruments Matchup - 24 instruments of levelled difficulty (green - easy, amber - harder, red - tricky) to match with the correct name Samba Instruments Matchup - 6 Bateria instruments to match to the correct name and correct beater

I have made the treble clef cards to support teaching notation in KS2 with the bass clef set as an extension for a more able child who is learning piano independently. I have ordered the cards, which include some sharps and flats and ledger lines up to 2 lines above and below the staff, roughly in order of difficulty. I plan to print them on different coloured card so that the notes that can be identified using the common mnemonic (every good boy etc) and "face" are on yellow, the sharps and flats for those notes plus C5, D5 and G6 on green and the rest on orange so that the children will be able to identify and be encouraged to move on to the harder sets.

Each A4 sheet contains one bar of 4/4 or 3/4 rhythm with element(s) missing. Whole class or group activity. Children choose which element(s) they could use to correct the bar. Shows understanding of time signature and rhythm notation values, extending to rests and dotted note values.

Set of nine cards giving essential aspects of playing the recorder. This is a "Higher Order Thinking" task - 9 cards showing essential elements of recorder playing are to be put in order from most to least important. There are no right or wrong answers, but children must explain and justify their thinking. I have also set up instructions that will print on a Ryman 89mm x 152mm envelope.

"Higher Order Thinking" task - nine cards giving musical elements are to be put in order from most to least important. There are no right or wrong answers, but children must explain and justify their thinking. This could be equally used for listening or for composition. I have also created a layout for printing the instructions onto a Ryman 89mm x 152mm envelope.