The Key to Your Primary Music Program: List of songs with lesson plans

I want to post the list of songs that we published in our Primary book so that you can see the variety of songs in the book. I must stress that you should not be fooled by the apparent simplicity of the songs. They are all from the public domain, and have stood the test of time. These songs were selected because they are suitable for use when teaching the skills that are required in the curriculum. As your students become more skilled in singing on key, you can choose other songs for themes and seasons.

I have written about our two music books in more detail in previous posts. You can also check out our website.

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The Key to your Junior Music Program: List of songs with lesson plans

I have referred to this book in a previous post. The songs are all public domain, and they have stood the test of time. These are songs that my sister (my co-author) taught her grade 4, 5 and 6 classes over her many years as a music teacher in Ontario. Check the list and consider buying our book from our website.

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Another song for your class for Christmas

Another great song that is a favourite of mine is "Over The River and Through the Wood". It is actually an American Thanksgiving song. It is copyrighted so I can't publish it for you. I have shown copies of two books that have wonderful pictures, as well as the lyrics and the music. The lyrics evoke the kind of "olden days" magic. The first verse has the same images as Jingle Bells, and since there is no mention of Thanksgiving, the class can learn it as a Christmas song. The melody is catchy and bright.

Another Christmas song: Ring the Bells

This song is another simple round to teach your class. It is set in the key of D and begins on do. Use your pitch pipe to help the class find the starting note. Once the students have learned the song well, divide the class in half and have them sing it as a round. The results are very effective! You and your students will be amazed!

If you would like more music for your class, check out my website www.musicbooksforschoolteachers.com and purchase a book online.

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A French song for your class for Christmas

Since I had taught French Immersion and Core French before I began teaching in the primary grades, I had a small repertoire of French Christmas songs.

I taught the following song to my grade ones and they performed it for their parents. You will recognize the tune of Frere Jacques. Use your pitch pipe to start the children on key. It begins on do.

When the class has learned the song perfectly, divide the class in half and have them sing it as a round. It sounds beautiful, and my students were thrilled to be singing in French. At the completion of the song, the glockenspiel can be used for the last line as an extra touch!

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A Christmas Song for Primary Classes

It may be late to teach this song to your class this year, but it is fairly simple and your class will learn it easily. This song works well for a simple presentation at a Christmas concert. One of your students could play the last two lines on a glockenspiel after the class has sung the song.

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The Key to Your Junior Music Program

The second book we wrote is called "The Key to Your Junior Music Program".

It was written at the request of the superintendent of the school board of my co-author (Marie Skelding). We had already presented summer workshops with our primary book, and the superintendent requested a junior book and an accompanying workshop.

Once again, this book contains only songs from the public domain; songs that have survived for generations. These songs have real musical value, as opposed to many songs that are written to meet specific curriculum themes.

The Junior book differs from the Primary book in that it contains "reading songs" that may be photocopied in class sets by the teacher who owns the book. The Primary book, by virtue of the fact that it is for primary students, only contains songs that are to be taught as rote songs.

All these terms are explained in our books.

The Key to Your Primary Music Program

I want to tell you about two music books for elementary classroom teachers that I co-authored. The first book is called The Key to your Primary Music Program.

I was a classroom teacher who loved music and wanted to teach my class according to the Ontario Curriculum. But I didn't know how, and I spent at least $100.00 on books that were either useless, or that I couldn't understand!

My sister (a principal at a senior public school in Guelph) was a music specialist. We combined what I needed to know with her knowledge and expertise and wrote the book, The Key to Your Primary Music Program. We chose songs that are in the public domain and that have stood the test of time.

I used the book in my classroom and finally felt capable and successful as a music teacher!

The Faculty of Education at the University of Windsor is now in their second year of using it as a course book.

Getting Started on the Music Class

Are you nervous about teaching music to your primary class?

Have you already pushed the time for music class to the end of the day and “run out of time”? You know you did that because you didn’t know how to get started!

I have some tips:

1. You are probably worried about whether you will sing in key.

Solution: Don’t worry, your students won’t care! They love any opportunity to sing, and the most important thing is to get started!

You will soon feel comfortable and find that music class is your favourite time!

2. What songs should you teach them?

Solution: Buy our primary book! The songs in our book have stood the test of time, and have been sung by generations of children.

Our book provides the words and melodies along with long range plans and lesson plans.
You will probably recognize most of the songs in our book (as will your students, hopefully!)
And that’s a good thing!
But do not be fooled by the apparent simplicity of the songs.
You will learn how to pitch your voice and how to read the notes.

3. Remember that your students will more easily learn to sing true with just your voice and no accompaniment. But playing just the melody on a keyboard can help you and your students learn the notes. (As an untrained singer, I used this method. But once the class learns the song, remove this crutch).

4. You will gain confidence to find other songs with musicality.

5. Also, remember to add tapes and CD’s that are musically appropriate for your students. Your music program will be enriched.