Overview:
An important and significant portion of elementary education includes the singing of songs. Singing provides the opportunity for students to engage in musical activities and to participate in a personally fulfilling form of self-expression.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Identify the strategies for teaching a song to young students.
- Describe the strategies and rationale for each.
- Identify and model best practices for teaching a song.
- Examine best practices for using a song accompaniment.
- Identify the elements used to evaluate and select age-appropriate song literature.
- Identify ways in which technology can assist in teaching a song to students.
- Evaluate and analyze a song being taught based on standards identified in the text.
A Process for Teaching a Song: Step One
Step One: Preparation
Preparation is important in teaching and leading singing to help students focus on the upcoming activity. Teachers can accomplish this by:
- Leading the students through engaging vocal warm-ups
- Creating a meaningful introduction to the song or activity
- Personalizing the lesson
Vocal Warm-Up
Vocal warm-ups are necessary for any singing activity. Students need to explore their voices and become familiar with how to control the voice by learning to sing through the entire range, singing at different dynamic levels, and matching pitch. Warm-ups often include techniques for relaxation and the development of good posture. In this movie clip, the teacher helps students prepare to sing.
Vocal warm-ups help to prepare the students for the lesson as well as help to prepare them to focus on singing well. Vocal warm-ups can also help the students learn to use and control the full range of their voices.
In another example of a vocal warm-up, notice how the teacher engages the students by using her hands. The gestures help show the students pitch direction and help students learn to use and control the full range of their voices.
Meaningful Introduction
A meaningful introduction is important to bring students into the song or lesson. Teachers can make music more meaningful by calling attention to the construction of the music, the melodic character of the song, or other pertinent elements of the activity or song.
Relating to past learning helps tie the lesson to previous activities or concepts by putting the new material in context. Prompts might include questions such as "Do you remember the game we played yesterday?”
Personalizing the Lesson
Teachers can make a song meaningful by personalizing the lesson. Personalization helps make the vocal experience more engaging for the students. A teacher can incorporate students' names, actions, ideas, or novel words to help the students relate to the lesson. These teachers are personalizing the lessons that follow.