Spoiler Alert: The First 5 Minutes of Music Class Matter Most!
An honest look at my first five minutes of teaching preschool music with 2, 3 and 4 year old’s, where rhythm, routine, and real-life learning meet.
There’s something wonderfully unpredictable about teaching preschool music. Even after all these years, no two days are quite the same, but one thing I’ve learned is that a strong, joyful routine makes all the difference.
In my classroom, the magic really happens in the first five minutes.
Yes, just five minutes! That’s when we build trust, spark curiosity, and lay the groundwork for everything that follows. If you peeked in, here’s what you’d see:
We Start with Hello… and Then Hello Again
We sing two (sometimes three!) different preschool hello songs. Why? Because repetition builds confidence, and variety keeps it fresh. One might be sung while keeping a steady beat, and another might feature name echoes and a little wiggle. Sing Me Your Name and Hello High Low are two great examples of my go-to hello songs.
Some kids sing. Some just watch. One might burst out mid-song to show me their new shoes. You just never know with these littles, and that is what makes it so much fun!
Fingerplays for Focus
Next, we move into two or three music fingerplays for toddlers and preschoolers. These aren’t just fun, they are tiny musical workouts. We practice coordination, phrasing, and timing while pretending to be spiders, caterpillars, blackbirds, ghosts, pumpkins… the list goes on
One student might do the motions perfectly. Another might get distracted and want to share that they once saw a dolphin. We pause, we reset, we smile…and we move ahead!
Movement + Music = Magic
Then it’s time to move! One movement song for preschoolers gives us the chance to stretch, sway, stomp, or spin—depending on the day. This is where I sneak in concepts like tempo, dynamics, and musical form without even saying a word about “teaching.”
Echo, Then Story
Next comes an echo chant, usually just our voices or sometimes with rhythm sticks. We explore call-and-response patterns, expressive sounds, and a few tried and true ta’s and ti-ti’s.
I find that this is the perfect time to move into a rhythmic tale. Our CMR rhythmic tales offer a chance to incorporate the concepts we have been teaching into stories that the kids LOVE, featuring original characters that are so entertaining that the kids may not even know they are learning! Rhythm and story meld together to create a preschool music routine that is a springboard for fun and learning. Bebop and Moto: Fast Friends is one of my favorite preschool rhythmic tales.
The Rhythm of Real Life
It doesn’t always go perfectly. Some days someone cries, and sometimes I forget which chant we were supposed to do next. But every day, this preschool music routine gives us something to hold onto. It helps my students feel safe, seen, and ready to explore music with joy.
It also reminds me why I love teaching this age. During the hiccups and happy accidents, there are so many little wins. Those first five minutes set the tone for something beautiful, and for me, that’s the biggest win of all.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes for you!
~Angela
