Do you teach a preschool choir?
If so, you know that preschoolers are musical explorers. They love to sing, dance, play, move, and experience music with their whole selves.
It can be challenging to find music that’s developmentally appropriate for preschoolers, as much of our contemporary music is too low and music written for elementary choirs is often too complex, has too big a range, is too long, and has too many words.
Wondering what’s developmentally appropriate?
Download my free resource, “What to Teach When in Children’s Choir.” In it, you’ll find a general list of musical skills and concepts that are developmentally appropriate for children in preschool through 5th grade.
Use this resource as a point of reference in your teaching, a record of what you are accomplishing in your rehearsals throughout the year, and a guide to what children at different ages may be capable of, both developmentally and musically.
Related post: How to Teach a Preschool Choir
Here are a few things to look for when you’re choosing music for preschoolers:
Range: Middle C up to A (occasional B)
Length: short (melody is 8-16 mm.)
Accompaniment: piano/guitar (simple, supportive, includes melody) or unaccompanied
Form: AA, AB, or ABA
Style: call and response, simple patterns, repetition
Features: musical contrasts (loud/soft, long/short, fast/slow, up/down)
Consider, too, other ways for children to experience and engage with the music through hand and body movements, dance and free play, listening, and playing instruments.
Today, I’m sharing six ready-to-use preschool song collections (many with teaching steps, performance and accompaniment recordings, printable visuals, corresponding movements, and correlating activities) to consider for your choir this year.
Songs for Preschool Choirs
*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
No. 1 - Songs for Small Singers, Book 1
(Sue Hawkins Duckett)
Unison choir + piano/guitar chords (or unaccompanied)
This collection includes several songs based on Bible stories. It also includes a mini Christmas pageant with six short songs each with 1- or 2-line spoken introductions (these songs could easily be performed individually if you didn’t want to do the whole pageant).
No. 2 - Share the Good News!
(Carol Huffman Dickerson, Jeremy Russell, Joanne LeDoux, Milton LeDoux, Nan Grantham, Terry D. Taylor, and Ruth Elaine Schram)
Unison choir + piano
A simple musical for young voices that tells the traditional Christmas story with original songs and rhyming narration. Perfect for a simple Christmas "pageant" or mini-musical for preschoolers, this reproducible kit includes well-crafted, age-appropriate songs, helpful teaching steps, colorful visuals, options for choreographed motions, staging suggestions, and performance and accompaniment tracks.
No. 3 - Music for Little People
John M. Feierabend
Unison choir + piano or guitar (or unaccompanied)
A definitive resource for preschool choir directors featuring 50 playful songs and activities. The book includes a demonstration CD with 90 minutes of activities such as “Moving Around,” “Taking Turns,” “Leading Others,” and “Moving Together.”
No. 4 - We Can Sing!
(Carol Huffman Dickerson, Lynn Russell, Nan Grantham, Sandy Wilkinson, Terry D. Taylor, Ruth Elaine Schram, Ken Medema, Cindy Berry, Mark Burrows, Becki Slagle Mayo, and Lynn Shaw Bailey)
Unison choir + piano
This collection includes a variety of general and seasonal scripture-based songs for children ages 3-6. The book includes not only the printed music, but student scores, teaching steps, colorful (printable) visuals, student worksheets, rehearsal planning tips, performance and accompaniment tracks, and more.
No. 5 - We Can Sing! 2
(Lynn Shaw Bailey, Nan Grantham, Kimberly Ingram, Joann LeDeux, Milton Ledeux, Don Phillips, lynn russell, Ruth Elaine Schram, Terry D. Taylor, and vicki hancock wright)
Unison choir + piano
This second book in the We Can Sing series features simple anthems for children ages 3-6. Like the first book, this one includes printed music, student scores, teaching steps, colorful (printable) visuals, student worksheets, rehearsal planning tips, performance and accompaniment tracks, and more.
No. 6 - Mini Musicals: Five Preschool Programs for Special Days
(Sue Hawkins Duckett)
Unison choir + piano/guitar chords (or unaccompanied)
This collection includes 5 themed mini-musicals each with 4-6 short songs. The songs can also be performed individually. The book includes a CD with Demo/Accompaniment tracks and suggestions for corresponding movements. The author also includes optional secular text for non-sacred settings.
Looking for more curriculum resources for your preschool choir?
Take a look at Keep On Singing, a digital curriculum published by Growing in Grace. This flexible curriculum can be used in person or online for virtual learning.
Two semesters are available: Fall and Spring. Each one includes:
10 Scripture-based songs for children ages 4-6
scores, student scores, demonstration and accompaniment recordings, and sing-along videos
10 video-based activities
15 student worksheets with teaching steps
15 age-appropriate devotionals
The Fall unit includes songs for general use, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Spring unit includes songs for general use, Palm Sunday, and Easter.
Free Resource
Wondering what to teach when?
This comprehensive guide will show you exactly what to teach when in preschool, younger elementary, and older elementary children's choirs, with helpful checklists of appropriate musical skills and concepts, organized by level.
I’d love to hear from you:
What are your favorite preschool music resources?
