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Question:  How do I select songs for children to sing?

  You are a busy person!

  You may be tempted to rush into your classroom, grab a chorus book or a pile of visualized songs, scan the pages or the pile and make comments to yourself like:

"Don't know that one!"

"Here's a good one! Sang it last week but that doesn't matter."

"I have trouble with the rhythm of that one."

"Here's another good one. Yea-a-a! That's two!"

"Oh! I like this one! Kids don't but I'm the teacher!"

"Three is enough! I'm ready!"

 

  Does that thought pattern describe the way you select songs for your classes? Perhaps you should click here and go to the question "Why should I make music a part of each class?" Read what God's Word says about singing. Study the reasons listed for including songs. Then come back to this page.

 

Each song you use in class should be selected for a specific purpose. Here's how to plan what songs you will sing!
For each song you select you need to be able to answer to every question below:

 

    Does the message of the song agree with what Scripture teaches?
 You would never tell children that receiving Christ as Savior will bring them a life of unending happiness. Yet many teachers use the chorus, "I'm inright, outright, upright, downright happy all the time . . . Since Jesus Christ came in and took away my sin . . ." Say the words of a song before you select it. Try to identify Scripture verses that contain the same truth. If the message of a song contradicts Scripture don't use it.

   Is the tune easy to sing, both for you and the children?
 When notes are too high, too low, or jump erratically too much concentration is required to follow the tune. Choose music that allows you to focus on the message.

   Will the children understand most of the message without explanation?
 Of course you can explain non-obvious concepts, but your explanations will need to be repeated frequently as the song words will be remembered more quickly than the meaning.
  Psalm 46:6-7 includes the words, "Sing praises to God, sing praises . . .  sing ye praise with understanding.

   Does the song have a specific purpose in your program?

    Use music to prepare the way for the next activity.

Sing a quiet song before the Bible lesson, a prayer song before you talk to God, a missionary song before you challenge children to think beyond their own neighborhoods.

    A song can support the main truth in your Bible lesson.

Be careful. To do this you may be tempted to introduce too many new songs and children will not hear them enough times to remember the words or tune.

    Select a song each week to help you present the Gospel.

Repeating these important truths can draw the unsaved to Christ and prepare saved children to share their faith.

    Action songs - ones with teaching value!

These allow children to relax and

 

Now and then let children select what they want to sing. But even then direct them to make choices with a purpose.
  • Choose a song that might be good for our missionaries to use in ______ (country).
  • Choose a song that would be good to remember when you feel sad.
  • Choose a song that has an important message we all need to remember.

This makes the children think about the messages of songs they have learned.

 

   Is the song suitable in length for the age of the children you teach?
    Little ones need lots of repeated phrases and melodies.

    Older children can handle more words.

For example, in the CEF Press® visualized song "Hallelujah Ballad" the kids love to zip through every syllable of the phrase, "He's an undeniable, super reliable, very special friend." What great truth to repeat over and over.

    When you have classes with mixed ages go ahead and use longer songs. The older children will carry the group and little ones will learn by repetition.

   In one Sunday night church service our song leader took requests. Being careful to include the children he called on Chad, age 5, who said, "I wanna sing How Great Thou Art." Because Chad couldn't read any of the words in the hymn book he held, we all smiled while looking for the page number.
   Once he located it the leader said, "You probably want to sing verse one, right?"
   "It don't matter," the little one replied, his enthusiasm covering his lack of grammatical finesse. "Us kids in junior church know all the verses." Hooray for that junior church teacher! Like her, you must use songs over and over until they are really learned.

   Is the song something the children will want to sing throughout the week?

Help your children learn great songs that stick in their brain cells. Then, when they are as old as you they will still retain these musical messages!

 

Would you like a single-page list of these six questions?

Click here and print the page that appears! Use it to check the songs you currently use, and to help you select new songs to teach.

Because you are a busy person you must fight the temptation to arrive at class and select songs on the spot. Will you take time to plan what songs you will use each week?

 

Where do you want to go next?

Red button  To the index of questions

Red button  To the place for encouragement (changed each week)