lesson planning

How to Create a Seamless, Joyful Experience for Your Preschool Choir

How to Create a Seamless, Joyful Experience for Your Preschool Choir

Sing this with me! (To the tune of “Oh, How I Love Jesus”)

Come and sing together,
Come and sing together,
Come and sing together,
It’s time to praise the Lord!

Clap your hands together,
Clap your hands together,
Clap your hands together,
It’s time to praise the Lord!

On the next verse, change the lyrics to add your own movement or hand motion idea! Better yet, ask a child in your class to suggest a motion, for example, “rub your hands together,” or “stomp your feet together.”

When I jump into preschool choir rehearsal or music class and see so many little eyes peering up at me in wonder, I realize I’m encountering a divine appointment.

How to Create a Children's Choir Rehearsal Plan

How to Create a Children's Choir Rehearsal Plan

How do you write a lesson plan?  How do you know how long things will take in rehearsal?  Is it best to start with something new or something familiar?  What do you do when they stop paying attention? These are some of the questions I had in my first years of teaching and I'm sure they resonate with many of you, as well.

The answers to these questions really depend on what kind of teacher or director you are or want to be and what kind of group you're working with.  After a few years of working with children's choirs, I found a quick pace with lots of music and related activities seems to keep everyone's attention while still working toward my learning goals for the ensemble.