Music Lesson Plans

Music lesson plans that are geared toward early elementary school students work best when the students can use their entire bodies to learn. Children this age love to move. Sitting still all day long is hard for them. Having a subject that allows young children to move freely works to engage them in the subject. This means what they learn will probably stick in their minds. Being able to be physically active also calms students down for future seat work because they have been able to get some of their energy out of their systems. Finding ways to work physical movement into your music lesson plans will soon make music your student’s favorite subject.

Music lesson plans that teach rhythm should be coupled with upbeat music. Children should be allowed to freely move for this lesson. It is probably best that your children move outside or into the gym for music lesson plans. This way you will be assured that the loud music and movement does not disturb other classes. Give each student a half empty water bottle that is sealed tightly. Have the children spread out holding their water bottles. Turn the music on and tell your children to move the water around in their bottles to the rhythm of the music. Go around and help children who are having trouble hearing the rhythm. Use their bottles to show them how the music moves up and down.

After your students have mastered hearing the rhythm in music, turn the music off. Tell them that they are now going to move to the rhythm. Have them set their water bottles aside. Tell them to picture the music and rhythm they hear in the song as water. Tell them they will be a leaf on top of the water.  Turn the music back on. Demonstrate to the children how a leaf would move on the water if it were rising and falling along with the music. When the beat is slow and doesn’t move much, you should tell the children to make small movements and move slowly. When the rhythm picks up and is fast, the children should make large, faster movements.

Working physical activity into your music lesson plans is crucial. Children will be able to learn about music in a fun way without even realizing they are learning.