Singing Time Lesson Planning

Lesson Planning: My wonderful book, A Children's Songbook Companion (by Graham, Gourley, Shipp, and Stewart), has some great ideas to get started. (I highly suggest you get this book or one similar to it...it's so helpful!) These are my notes from the "Preparing to Teach" (pg. 11-13) section in the beginning:

First, analyze/study the words:
1) What is message of the song (what you wan the children to learn)?
2) Prepare definitions/explanations of hard to understand words or phrases.
3) What words or phrases stand out to help in learning? Words that are important, rhyme, need defining, or their order.
4) Is there an action or visual aid suggested?
5) Is there a personal experience or story that can be related that bears testimony of the message?

Second, analyze/study the music:
1) What makes the melody memorable? Is there a shape perhaps (like in When I Am Baptized)?
2) Are there rhythm patterns? Quick notes verses long notes.
3) What dynamic markings are there? What mood or emphasis do they create?
4) What is the form, like in poetry? (Ex: AABA).

Now pick only the most relevant ideas from all your research to teach (just "the tip of the iceberg).
Their formula is: "get the children's attention, ask questions to help them listen to the song, and plan reasons to have them repeat singing" (pg. 14).


There is so much more in there than this. But I don't want to break copyright laws (hopefully I have credited them enough), so I suggest if you want the full benefits you get the book for yourself :)