Press
By Bob Banfield
WILDOMAR (KABC) -- For a lot of students, studying is a "chore." Music is "fun." In Riverside County, an elementary school teacher decided to combine the two.
The ultimate goal is to help the kids with their California Achievement Test.
Wildomar Elementary School, located in the foothills of the Cleveland National Forest, is a great spot for a school: serene and quiet.
Friday, there were two concerts for the whole school. The guest artists were a rock band rocking the standards.
Tim Bedley, a veteran of 20 years in the classroom, explained the concept.
"We play real rock music, and the lyrics for the songs are all things that the kids need to learn for the state of California," said Bedley. "We've got a big test coming up in about three weeks. So these are things that are going to be on the test these kids are going to be taking. And we know that when you sing, you remember what you've sung."
From the very first drum roll, it was very clear the students were motivated and know the concepts, and should do well on the upcoming state-mandated tests.
"Seven, 14, 21, 28, yeah, 35, 42, and 49, 56, 63, and 70, yeah," sang 5th-grade student Tymerie Vincelli.
And the learning goes beyond just numbers.
"It really helps us develop learning skills," said 5th-grader Laci Putnam. "Like 'Mean-mode-median?' 'Mean is the average, add and then divide, mode is most often, it's the easiest to find.' That's what they say, that's the words to the song, so it really does help us."
Members of the school board and a number of parents were on hand for the unusual concert. The reaction was good.
"It was great, I loved it," said parent Jesse Pacheco. "The songs and everything, just the music, the background. He did a great job."
Profits from the sale of CDs of the "learning rock songs" help buy supplies for the school, and reinforce the questions and the answers.
If the rest of the school day was as much fun as the morning concerts, it was a good day for learning at Wildomar Elementary.
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