Developing Music Reading Skills

I generally don't spend a lot of time focusing of developing reading skills, as the Orff approach calls for improvisation and play and reading can slow that process down.  However, it is important that the kids know how music is put together, so beginning in second grade we start using activities like these chopsticks on paper to illustrate beat, rhythm and accents.  Believe it our not the "score" below is for the Moroccan song "Ram Sam Sam."  Then in third grade we add the note heads and begin to discuss subdivision of the beat.