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Teaching music to elementary students
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 Teaching
music to elementary students is a fun and worthwhile
task. However, it can be challenging at times. As the music teacher,
always have a game plan for every grade or skill level that you
will work with. It is also good to have a backup plan in case the
music lesson(s) are too easy, or in case they are too hard for the
class. The basics of music should be established first.
Though you are not an instructor of choir lessons, but are instead
teaching music to elementary students, the voice can most certainly
be used as an instrument in class—but you will want to focus
the students energy on other instruments as well. The children can
easily be taught the basics in drums, blocks, triangles and other
percussion instruments, and even their bodies to make music.
Here are some ideas to help you get started.
· Teaching music to elementary students for kindergarten
and first graders:
§ When teaching music to elementary students, start the kids
out with basic scales—but do not focus too much time on scales.
Instead, associate the short lesson on scales with a simple song
that, as you will tell them “uses the notes in a different
order” Explain that notes are mixed up together and that is
how people can make all different kinds of music.
§ As an example: use bells that are lined up in the order of
your basic scale. Have the children line up with the bells and play
their instrument, one ring at a time, first in order and then mixed
up. Point to each child when it is his or her turn to ring his or
her bell and have them create a simple song.
§ As they get older, teaching music to elementary students
you should include more percussion instruments—it seems like
percussion instruments were made for teaching music to elementary
students, they are easy and fun.
§ One example: have them learn to keep rhythm. Using drums,
wooden sticks, triangles, or have them clap their hands or stomp
their feet to the rhythm. Use a “six-count” or “eight-count”
beat so that they can count along at first.
§ Once the students can work without counting aloud—try
to have them play using as complicated a piece as you feel they
can handle. They can use their voices, too.
§ The hardest part of teaching music to elementary students
of this older age group is discerning where there skill levels are
strongest and base your lesson plans accordingly. By the end of
the school year for students in second grade—the children
should have become considerably more advanced than they were when
classes began.
Here are some basics for the beginning of the year for teaching
music to elementary students:
· Have some basic lesson plans made for each age group that
will help you assess quickly what skill level they are and how far
you want to take them that year.
· Make lesson plans flexible—sometimes kids can unintentionally
guide a class—especially in the fine arts—let your class
“go off on a tangent” if it is helping make the class
more fun.
· For recitals, presentations etc. plan to have the group
perform at a skill level that is a little bit below their actual
abilities. This way they will do especially good in the performance.
· Ask the children to practice at home. Sometimes, teaching
music to elementary students it seems like you don not have enough
time to work with the students one-on-one and you know that what
they need is one-on-one attention. If they are allowed to take their
percussion instruments home—ask them to practice as homework
with a parent or guardian. If not, there are exercises that they
can do at home like making their own drum. Practicing clapping or
stomping to a certain rhythm etc. If you have an especially large
class, try to rotate which children you are able to help individually
during class time.
Teaching music to elementary students is a challenging but very
rewarding task.
Discuss teaching ideas, lesson plans, classroom
strategies
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