Teaching Children to Sing

1. Why Have a Song Time?
   • To sing praises to God (Psalm 47:6, 7)
   • To teach spiritual truths (Colossians 3:16)
   • To create a prayerful atmosphere by directing thoughts toward God
   • To unify the group in a common activity
2. Guidelines for Choosing Songs
   • Adequate for the age group
   • According to the child’s spiritual development
   • According to the objectives and main teaching of the class that day
   • Teaching a spiritual truth
3. Teaching a Song
   • It is of utmost importance that you know the words and the melody before teaching a chorus or song.
   • Introduction
     • Spark interest in the spiritual truth the song teaches. Use questions, short illustrations, puppets, etc…
   • Presentation
     • Present the music and the words together, either by singing them or having the children listen to someone else sing.
   • Explanation
     • Explain difficult words and concepts, using a visual aid.
   • Application
     • Show clearly how the song relates to the child’s life so it will have spiritual significance for the child personally.
   • Repetition
     • Have the group sing the whole song several times
     • It is not usually necessary to repeat the words without the music unless small children are present
     • Teach the melody precisely, correcting any errors in the words or melody immediately
     • Avoid chaos
     • Sing by rows
       • Sing by groups, classes, boys, girls, etc.
       • Have those with green shirts sing, those with blue, etc.
   • Review
     • Review the songs. The children will remember the song if it is sung dynamically and frequently.
4. Song Leading
   • Be enthusiastic
   • Plan the song time
   • Guide the children’s thoughts toward the message of the song by using questions or short interesting illustrations
   • Allow the children to participate by singing solos, duets, etc…
   • Lead the songs with your hands
5. Planning the Song Time
   • Choose the songs according to:
     • The theme
     • Your objectives
   • Decide the order and the time you will sing each song
   • Songs should be spread out
     • Example: An exciting song before a game or a slow song before the lesson
   • Think through the following:
     • How you will introduce each song
     • How you will make a link between the song and the next scheduled event
   • Decide how the children will participate
     • Example: hand motions, standing or sitting, making noises, etc…

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