Resource Reviews: A-Star Classroom

Classroom instrument manufacturer A-Star is expanding their offer by launching an online resource hub for non-specialist primary teachers. The online A-Star Classroom will provide fact sheets, videos, lesson plans and cross-curricular activities designed for use with A-Star classroom percussion instruments. Launched this month, the resource will gradually expand with more content added monthly to allow teachers to explore a range of different cultures and sounds with their class.

I started by looking at the instrument cards, which are structured very much like knowledge organisers but are much more useful in that they cover the skill of how to play the instrument as well as facts about the instrument. I can see both teachers and pupils finding these useful, particularly in a knowledge-rich curriculum environment. These are supported with clearly presented ‘how to play’ videos, and the combination of these videos with the cards means that teachers who might previously have wondered what on earth the strange items in their instrument trolley are will have all the support they needed to learn to play and classify these.