Encouraging Children to Sing

I’m beginning to believe that teaching music – even singing - to very young children is as illusive today as many of the other fine arts. No matter the life or depth of good intentions, music is multidimensional, and the somehow the great dimensions of music are just too great a leap for most.

“I don’t sing,” lament 98 percent of incoming teachers. Sure you do, you just don’t sing like a professional opera star, so your shortcomings remain a private matter between you and your shower or car radio.

A beloved professor once said, “Somewhere along the way, someone told you that you can’t sing, so you don’t. It’s a shame.” Of course not everyone has a quality voice, but most people can carry a tune some of the time, and that’s all that counts with kids, but singing remains tantamount to standing naked in a classroom.

Teaching music can be more than singing, but because very young children are auditory learners, singing easily becomes the focal point, and that terrifies most adults.

Music should be listening too. Playing the Great Masters in the classroom helps children to understand that music is broad and more than pop or country western on the radio. An astute music teacher will teach children how to “read” a story into classical works, so they will be aware that something is happening within the music.

Telling a story to The Appalachian Suite is probably the easiest. Anyone can hear the animals in the woods and the wagon moving through the depth of the trees.

The New World Symphony is another great travel adventure story if you use a train moving through city, country, towns, and villages.

It doesn’t matter what, so long as children begin to feel the music as they listen.

Music should also be playing. Musical instruments should awaken the musician in every child. Sticks, sand blocks, triangles, mariachis, tambourines, drums, noisemakers, homemade instruments and body parts should enhance the music lessons. Instruments are cheap and easy to obtain and begin with two hands.

Children learn songs quickly. It’s not difficult to teach three to five new songs a week.
Children can learn to sing everything from Gregorian chant to what we call exchange songs. When we sing Shenandoah, one group holds the last note while the other group comes in and sings the next line. Kids love the challenge.

Music should never drag. The music activities should come one after another and for the most part be teacher led. Songs should be sung in a medium range and children should understand that we keep up with the music.


Energizing music is easy because kids like to perform. When all seems to be said and done for the day, one child singing a solo will energize a whole group. A child thrives on finishing a whole song for a whole audience. And never tell a child he can’t sing.

I know virtually nothing about music or its history. My hearing is impaired. I miss most music nuances because I can’t hear them. I sing in a key that musicians regard as laughable. I sing with a low alto voice – middle C is as high as I can get. But still, I sing with the kids, because I regard music as an important childhood activity that can’t be missed. No matter your particular difficulty, do it anyway.