By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

FAIRFIELD - Jennifer Hoffman gathered her 5- and six-year-olds in a circle, each grasping a decorated plastic bottle or metal can, some filled, others empty.

Together the students at the Fairfield Kindergarten Center began shaking, scraping or banging their homemade instruments to the music playing in the background.

"I like it because it makes noise,'' said Jason Bickerstaff, 5, who filled a tin can with rice, beans, noodles, and a small metal pumpkin.

"I can shake it, tap it with my finger, roll it. It sounds like a storm - a thunderstorm or a tornado.''

Mrs. Hoffman's students and those in 11 other classes are finishing a two-week unit that began with a program by musician Michael Bashaw, who taught them about sound and making music with all sorts of things found at home.

Quinn Vo decorated a piece of paper with a rainbow and picture of herself, which she taped around the plastic bottle that she used as her instrument. Inside, she put popcorn.

"I make a noise all the time, I like to shake it,'' said Quinn, who is in Connie Leugers' class. "I like to shake it hard!"

The project, which uses fall as its theme, was made possible through a two-year grant from the Association for the Advancement of Arts Education, said Principal Susan Lindberg. The Arts Connection grant paid for seven teachers and Mrs. Lindberg to go through monthly workshops on integrating arts into all areas of the curriculum. The training ended with a weeklong program last summer.

"We want to expand it eventually,'' said Mrs. Lindberg. "All of us who were trained can train another group. The goal, though, is to have all the teachers go through the training (we did).''

The program is similar to the national Spectra Plus program, developed by the Fitton Center for Creative Arts more than 10 years ago. That program also integrates arts into all areas of the curriculum, said Jackie Quay, its director and a former Arts Connection consultant. Fairfield West Elementary School had participated in that program but no longer does, Ms. Quay said. Locally, Adams, Harrison and Van Buren elementary schools in Hamilton are participants.

Mrs. Leugers said she was apprehensive at first.

"It's been something new for us. I was leery about it at first but the kids have loved it,'' Mrs. Leugers said.

"We've been able to tie it in throughout the curriculum,'' Mrs. Hoffman said.

For example, the children are using their instruments to learn math skills - shaking them vigorously to make a loud noise, then hardly at all for a softer sound, in a pattern. Next spring, the grant will pay for a dancer to work with the children.