Play the same simple song at the beginning of each music lesson. A greeting song works well here. Teach the children that the song means a music lesson is starting and what they should do when they hear it. Tell the class that by the end of the song they should make a circle and help them form one. Once the children have heard the song a few times, they might even start singing along.
Play songs with a lot of repetition. Too many words in a song might discourage your young students since it can be difficult for them to remember. Call and response songs or echo songs, such as "Are You Sleeping" are perfect for young children. During the parts of the song that the children sing back to you, do not sing. If you do, the children will stop trying to remember the song and sing more quietly in order to listen to you.
Play music without lyrics and let the class move to the music on their own. Rhythm is natural to humans -- we are proven to be more relaxed with a rhythm of 72 beats per minute playing and were surrounded by the rhythm of our mothers' heartbeats in the womb. Most children will be able to find the rhythm in the music. You can help by clapping along to the beat or even clapping with your hands over one of your students' hands if he is having trouble. Let your students explore the music and freely experience the joy that dance can bring to help foster a lifetime love of music.
Have your class sit on the ground and tap a beat on the floor with their hands. Turn on a piece of music with a strong beat and have them try to catch the beat of the song on the floor. Then tell them to tap to the music on their knees. Then on their chest. Let them feel the rhythm in different parts of their bodies. Have them walk around the room in time with the music.
Incorporate hand movements with story songs. Familiar story songs with hand movements include "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "The Wheels on the Bus".
Conclude each music lesson with a quiet song or even a song sung in a whisper to help calm the students down and prepare them for their next lesson.