Teaching grade 1 music lessons?

This article gives an overview of a typical grade 1 music lesson plan. Then it shows you how it can be implemented.

A teahcer preparing to teach a grade one music lesson

Creating a lesson plan to teach grade 1 music lessons

Creating a music lesson plan is difficult enough!
Getting a lesson to fit curriculum requirements is even harder!

Firstly, you need a clear sense of the curriculum requirements. Then you need to turn it into an enjoyable lesson for your students.

What is the purpose of a lesson Plan?

Any lesson plan is a simple list of activities. It should also have an idea of where it fits into your program.

It needs to be easy to read, so you can glance at it and be ready to teach. It can also act as a reference to hand on to a substitute teacher.

Personally I like to plan by creating a list of links on my computer. That way every resource I will need will only be one click away!

Here’s an example of a first grade lesson plan:

Lesson plan for Grade 1 Music Lessons

How to prepare for grade 1 music  lessons

There are only a few really important things to prepare:

  • Your computer and display screen. Make sure your computer is charged or plugged in and has a speaker attached. To teach music it is important that you have good quality sound equipment. This means it doesn’t distort when the speaker is turned up. The children need to be able to hear it to play along with. Your classroom screen should be visible from the whole room.

  • Plan where your children will sit when they enter the room. When your grade one classes come into the classroom, make sure you have planned where they will sit. This area should be away from any instruments. In this place the children can listen to your instructions without distraction. Grade 1 classes can become overly enthusiastic when moving around the classroom. At these times you can bring them back to their sitting spot and calm them down again.

  • Sort out your instruments. Every music classroom in the world is equipped differently. You will need small percussion instruments such as shakers and tapping sticks. Make sure that all the instruments you choose are similar in size and shape. This way there are no special choices which can slow down a lesson.

  • Read and think about their age. If teaching grade 1 is new to you, take the time to learn about it. Spend a few minutes reading about this age group and their tendencies. We recommend research based documents such as this one. This is a guide from the Northeast foundation for children.

    By doing this you’ll understand things such as:

    • Children in this age group have a tendency to rush through activities.
    • Children at this stage can be highly susceptible to criticism.
    • The best ways to varying the pace of instruction.
    • Why keeping segments of the lesson short can be a good idea.

What you do need and what you don’t need for teaching Grade 1 music lessons:

You don’t need massive amounts of musical skill

You don’t need hours of specialised training or conferences.