Use repetition when teaching preschoolers songs. Typically, children will memorize a song quickly if they sing or speak the words of the song on a continual basis. When preparing preschoolers for a school performance or other singing engagement, consider giving each child a CD of the song for at-home practice, singing the song from the beginning to end one time each day and introducing pictorial reminders of the song’s story, such as pictures of farms and animals for "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."
Using simple instruments when teaching music is not only beneficial for engaging the students during the lesson but is also beneficial for introducing preschoolers to another level of music. Have the students make musical instrument crafts and incorporate playing time during the week. Implement crafts such as making drums out of empty coffee canisters or making musical shakers out of decorated, empty water bottles filled with beads or rice.
Encourage the students to express their feelings about the way a certain genre of music sounds by combining music and art into one lesson or activity. Consider playing a specific type of music, such as classical music, or music that highlights a certain instrument, such as the saxophone in jazz, in the background during an art lesson. Instruct the student to express the way the music makes them feel through a painting, drawing or clay sculpture.
Incorporate music into the daily classroom activities, giving the preschoolers various opportunities to sing and listen to music throughout the day. Play familiar songs as background noise in the classroom or play soft and soothing music during nap-time. Produce a mini musical, lasting no more than five to 10 minutes, and allow the students to perform the musical for other classes and for their parents. Teach the students a new song every week and hold a weekly sing-a-long at the end of the week.