Using Questions

Use 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.  

• Ask the children a question that can be answered by some exact words of the song.  Invite the children to try to discover the answer as they listen to you sing the song. 
•  Accept answers from the children.  If there is any doubt about the correctness of the responses, sing the song again so the children can check the answer.
• Invite the children to sing the phrase of the song that included the answer to the question.  You may need to sing the song for them up to the part that has the answer to the question.
• Continue to ask questions, one at a time, each time singing the song for the children and inviting them to join in adding each new phrase that they learn, until they are able to sing the complete song with you.
• Feelings:  Some of the greatest questions you can ask are:

a.      I liked how that made me feel?  Did you feel that warm feeling?

b.      Didn’t that music help you feel happy?

c.       I like how the rhythm of the music, it made me feel like skipping down the sidewalk.

d.      I love the way the accompaniment makes the song feel so ……..

e.      What did you feel when were singing that song?

f.        Etc….