Using Songs With Small Groups
Many of us have learned the advantages in using songs to teach large classes.
Large classes can be amazingly fun, right?
Quieter students either temporarily join in or hide behind the others while soaking in the song.
Using Songs With Small Groups
But in a small class, everyone can hear and see what everyone else is doing!
Its harder to hide behind someone, and there is little or no crowd energy to pull everyone along.
And when theres only two of you?
What do you do?
Can you still use music and songs in your lessons?
Or not to sing?
You cant force anyone to sing, and you shouldnt insist on everyone singing at the same time.
With encouragement from you and when theyre ready, they will start to participate.
But what if they still wont sing?
Dont abandon your plan to use music!
Instead, find other ways to incorporate music into the lesson.
Have music playing when your students come in.
This music sets the welcoming mood: upbeat music wakes everyone up, while quieter music calms people down.
As a simple warm up activity, pass a ball around to the beat of a lively song.
If you have a specific song you plan to introduce later, play it as unobtrusive background music first.
Transitions, the time between activities, are excellent times to use music.
When it is time to clean up, have a clean up song ready to go.
When it is time to go, have a good-bye song ready.
Establish a routine: be consistent in your songs until students are familiar with the patterns of your lessons.
Then, slip in a new song.
Students will notice this change!
Its just you and me.
When you have only one student, this can be the toughest teaching situation in which to sing songs.
There is no group energy, and there is no one to hide behind.
Singing face to face can feel awkward for both the teacher and the learner.
Or try singing with puppets!
