Once you have your log in for your class, we recommend you read the teachers' manual to become familiar with the icons and settings.

Sign in and choose your class (this is important as the resource tracks the class progress).

Choose a song and then the activity/area you want to work with; learn the song first and then just explore! You won’t run into anything that is beyond the skill set of the class.

Remember that the conductors Coda and Rondo have all the instructions and so, until you become familiar with the activities, always check to see what they have to say (the number of prompts are shown by notifications).

At the end of each module there are 2 or 3 questions. Answer them carefully and if the class really can do these things then tick them off and the next time you log in, the next module will be available to you.

Starting a class with warm ups is always a good plan and the warm ups can be done in any order, either just one of them or all, depending on the time that you have.

Select a song and then 'Learn the Song’. O nce you have learned the song you can select any of the areas and the correct level of activities will be presented.

We have graded the modules so that you can't click into one that is too difficult. Some are more tricky than others and most of them will need to be done several times.

Ofsted have recommended that little and often is the best way to learn musical skills. We suggest 10-15 minutes every day. Make sure that you select a variety of activities. This will effortlessly give you 1 hour of music for your class each week. If you prefer to do it all in one go, again ensure a variety of activities to maintain interest. In a longer session, it’s good to spend 10 minutes on the coordination activities to keep the children active

DaCapo Online is full of activities and practical music learning, not theoretical questions or abstract ideas but real music making.

It uses the voice and movement and introduces children to classical instruments.

Schools need a good selection of musical instruments for the children to use (we have suggestions of how to build this up gradually).

Children work as a class and sometimes in small groups.

Creativity is a central part of the resource and it builds gradually to meaningful composition activities where children can organise sound, rhythm, pulse and pitch with authority and not by chance!

Performance is built in.

You have a login for your class. The resource keeps a record of where you've got to. You answer the questions at the end of the module and progress with your class accordingly. When you (or your supply, trainee or TA) next login, you will find the modules that your class needs. Coda and Rondo are also there to give instructions to whoever is leading the class, even if they haven’t worked with them before.