Teaching Songs to Children

Most of the following information is combined from: 

( have added some personal thoughts or examples)

The Children’s  Songbook, pg 300 , .

"Teaching Children to Sing" Video Segment (from lds.org)

“How to Teach a Song”  (from lds.org)

  

Sing the Song

Children generally learn songs by the ROTE method- that is, by HEARING the words and music and then IMITATING what they hear. The most effective teaching methods and aids are those that help the children LISTEN carefully to the music, ENCOURAGE them to sing the parts as they hear them, and REINFORCE the message of those words.  In order to  learn by the ROTE method, children need to HEAR the song sung several times, words and music together.  As the LISTEN, they should be ACTIVELY INVOLVED, either by LISTENING for some specific words or musical idea or by DOING something with their hands, bodies, or with objects. Sing, sing, sing! 

Capture Attention

Capture the children’s attention with an object, a picture, a scripture, and experience, or simply a whisper.

Direct Children’s Listening

Questions:  It is an established fact that children will long remember songs that they have learned to sing from memory.  Questioning is an important technique for encouraging children to actively listen so that they can learn a song quickly.  Teach a song using questions that will encourage children to listen to the song and help children understand the gospel message…for example, What? Where? When? Why?…and state the question in such a way children can discover the answer as you sing the song. Directing the listening with questions reinforcing the message of the song and direct their attention to the melody.

 EX:  With the Song “Families Can Be Together Forever” I want you to listen for how long families can be together.  When you here the answer put your hand to your ear.

 EX: “I Love to See the Temple” I know a beautiful song about temples. As we sing this song, listen carefully to find out what we do when we go to the temple.

Did you discover why we go to the temple? (Answers may include that we go to the temple to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, to listen, to pray, to make covenants with Heavenly Father, and to be sealed as families.)

Now let’s sing the song again. This time, listen to discover whose house the temple is.

Did you discover whom the temple belongs to? (It is the house of God.)

Continue with similar questions until you have emphasized the parts of the song that will help the children understand its message.

Use Teaching Aids

The best teaching aid for music in Primary is your enthusiasm, actions and eye contact with the children. However, pictures and other audiovisual materials can help FOCUS children's attention, STIMULATE interest in a song, and CLARIFY the message. Teachings aids should always teach correct gospel concepts.  Children are easily confused about concepts that are misrepresented.  Words should be represented accurately and not be with sound –alike pictures.  The word “I” for instance, should not be represented with a picture of a human eye.

Children enjoy singing time more when the songs are presented in a variety of ways.  

• Words and pictures
• Dramatizations, costumes and props
•  Movement
•  Visual Aids
• People resources
•  Audio Visual 

Use Musical Ideas

You can illustrate the melody line of a song or a phrase of a song in several ways to help the children become comfortable with the melody and rhythm. 

Review the songs

After the children have learned a new song, it is important for them to sing it frequently to implant it firmly in their memories.  Sometimes use the song they have already learned as the opening , closing or reverent song. 

Help Children to Sing Correctly

“You should help the children sing clearly and with a natural childlike tone quality.

Bear Testimony

Bear your personal testimony, or read testimonies recorded in the scriptures.  As children hear the testimonies of others they will be strengthened.

Sing at Home

“Encourage them to sing at home.  When we strengthen a child we help fortify a

  family.

Some researchers have found that we remember only a small percentage of what we hear in lecture form.  Recall increases when stories or visual aids are included.  But if we teach a child a song and they memorize it, they will recall most of it indefinitely (Spectrum, May 5, 1982, Bascom, Hanks).