Preschool Song
by Sue Chehrenegar

When a preschool child puts words to music and creates a song, then that small child will generally experience a feeling of happiness. When children are happy, then they feel more positive about themselves. They are more able to notice just how they can each contribute to society. That is why every preschool song is important.

Consequently, if you are the instructor at a preschool, then you will want to teach many different preschool songs. How should you tackle this task? You first need to be sure that you know how to sing the song. Practice singing the preschool song that you want to teach your class with a friend or family member. Concentrate on learning the rhythm and the melody.

Learning a Preschool Song

Maybe you can get hold of a CD or a tape that contains preschool songs that you would like to teach to your class. This is an excellent way for a preschool instructor to learn a new song. By listening to a song over and over, you can learn any preschool song much faster.

Children, too, will learn a song much faster if they have a chance to sing it over and over. The teacher of a preschool song must plan the teaching activity with that goal in mind. Maybe you want to add to the repetition by introducing some pictorial reminders of the story that is being related in the preschool song that the children are learning to sing.

Practicing a Preschool Song

Some preschool songs are most easily taught by having the children act-out the words of the song as they sing them. This acting can be done with the whole body, with hand movements, or with finger plays. Usually the past experience of other preschool instructors will furnish clues as to which of these approaches is best.

Another wonderful addition to the teaching of a preschool song is the distribution of some simple instruments. Usually, percussion instruments are the surest route to a pleasant and fun period of repeated preschool song making. Prepare or purchase several sets of wood blocks with a sandpaper covering, one or more tambourines, hollow cylinders, with sticks for hitting them, at least one empty coffee can with a plastic lid and one or more triangles.

Do not allow yourself to spend unneeded hours worrying about how you will teach a preschool song. Remember, children love to sing. Teaching young children a new preschool song is one of the easiest jobs that the preschool instructor will be called upon to carry-out.

Websites:

Resources for Teaching a Preschool Song

www.menc.org

www.brilliantstarmagazine.org