How to Teach Children to Write Songs

Teaching children how to write songs can be a creative learning activity, an additional method to teach writing, and an excellent method of expressing their emotions and feelings in a healthy manner. Very young children can often be heard while playing with their stuffed animals or playing on a playground singing songs of their own creation. Older children can be encouraged to consider elements including rhythm, structure, beat or timing, tone, instruments, and accompanying music.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tape Recorder or
• video Recorder
• Paper
• Writing Utensil
• Musical Instruments (optional)

1. Record spontaneous songs that children sing using tape recorders or video camera.

2. Write the songs down with the child helping them to get their creations onto paper. Encourage older children to write their ideas down using more complexity like rhythm or rhyming considerations.

3. Sing the song with a young children or encourage older children to sing the newly written song. Sing with the older child if they desire.

4. Edit the written song. Missed words or stanzas might need to be added. A chorus might need to be added or edited to flow better.

5. Sing the song again adding musical instruments if available like a piano, guitar, or drums. If nothing is readily available, clap a basic beat for the song or create some musical instruments to add along.

6. (Optional) Write music to accompany the song created by the child or children. Have the child sing the song the way they want it to sound and match piano or guitar to the notes.

Tips & Warnings

• Encourage children to keep a song journal or diary.
• Write down spontaneous songs that your children sing or catch them on a tape recorder or video to preserve memories and developmental stages.
• Encourage children to write songs when happy.
• Convert poems that children create into songs using these steps - a chorus might need to be created.
• Creating songs can inspire children to be more interested in spelling, writing, and poetry.
• Keep a dictionary, thesaurus, and rhyming word book handy to help children spell words properly and learn synonyms and rhyming words.
• Don't criticize a child's song harshly or rudely to avoid squelching their creativity or confidence.
• Don't make fun of a child's song and don't let other children make fun of a child's creation in a family or classroom - children are most creative and talented in "safe" learning environments not ones filled with bullies, teasing, or sarcasm. Particularly obnoxious siblings or classmates might need a serious consequence regularly applied for teasing to nip the behavior.

Resources

• FREE Professional Stock Photos for eHow Articles or Projects for Kids
• Top 5 Fun Pool Toys for Kids
• Health, Fitness, Fashion, and Green Articles by Heather Inks
• Convenient One Page List of Heather Inks' Articles

[heatherinks]

on 11/4/2009 Music is an excellent avenue for self expression in children as well as to practice combinating different sounds and rhyming words. God bless.

[lighthouse1958]

on 9/23/2009 Another wonderful article. This is so neat teaching children to write songs. If that is your daughter in the picture she is just lovely. 5*

[ramblin62]

on 9/22/2009 Love this article about teaching children to write songs. As a music lover and composer, I know many of my endeavors wouldn't have been reached without some encouragement in my impromptu songs & overall musical interest. TX!

[heatherinks]

on 8/24/2009 There is a long line of ballet dancers and vocalists in my family. : ) Music and art are excellent methods of healthy expression of emotion and funnels of angry energy if need be. Thanks for the positive comments. God bless.

[newstime1999]

on 8/23/2009 Nice creative and artistic ideas.