Submitted by Kristin Lukow, Nebraska

Idea posted September 3, 2004

I use overheads/lyric sheets much of the time, but it is often after the students have listened to the song, echoed me phrase by phrase, or learned actions and/or sign language.

I generally subscribe to this method:

  • Listen
  • Listen - hum along in your head
  • Listen - hum along quietly
  • Speak words - echo without accompaniment but with actions
  • Sing words - echo without accompaniment but with actions
  • Sing along with accompaniment and with actions
  • Read words
  • Analyze words
  • Sing along with accompaniment but without actions
  • Read music - for older students, I introduce the melody sheets. At this point, the students have a good understanding of the sound in their minds. They get to see what they already know and it makes more sense to them. (Eventually, this process can be shortened.) By the end of sixth grade, many of my students can hear the music as they read it because of this method of practice.
  • Polish - sing along with accompaniment with actions.

I use this model because I believe this is how we learn language. As babies, we listen first, then we echo, we are often expressing through movement, then we see words and begin to learn to read, then we learn to analyze what we are reading, and then we get into more complicated symbolic language like music.

I don't always follow every step, but it is a general outline that helps me cover all areas of the song.