How to Create a Primary Program Lyrics Book

Have you ever heard of a Primary program lyrics book? The idea behind it is a simple text version of a flip chart that use can use while conducting during the Primary Program presentation.

This gives you and the kids a quick glance at the words – just in case you forget the lyrics! I know there have been times I’ve forgotten the lyrics.

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Primary Program Lyrics Book - a great resource for Primary music leaders / choristers to use during the program presentation while conducting! #music #primaryprogram #primary #musicleader #primarychorister #lds #imamormon #primarylyrics

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I think this is the perfect way to give the kids a resource during the program without being over-the-top with huge posters or other things to hold.

This simplifies the process so you can use your hands to lead, make hand gestures (my personal favorite method), and remind the kids to smile, sing louder, or even just to look up!

Getting Started with a Primary Lyrics Book

These are some of my favorite items that are useful to have on hand when making a lyrics book:

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Better Binder – I LOVE the Staples Better Binders!! They are seriously the best binders ever. They have a rubber edged spine that makes them virtually indestructible. With the way you will sling your binder over the edge of your music stand, this saves your binder from all the abuse!

The binder in this picture is a Better Binder. Definitely worth the investment. I recommend a 1″ size Better Binder.

Sheet Protectors – You’re going to want a big ‘ol box of sheet protectors as a Primary music leader! These things are like gold!I use them for just about everything and they save the printables so they don’t get thrashed by little hands.One tip is to remember that the things you print don’t have to live in the sheet protectors forever!

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When you’ve finished the Primary program presentation, for example, pull all these pages out and stash them away in a manila folder until you need them again.This keeps them save and protected but doesn’t use up your resources – since you won’t need most of those pages again for 4 more years! Get a 200-count box of Heavy Duty sheet protectors like these ones.

Sheet Protectors with Tabs – Another thing I love is this set of sheet protectors with built-in tabs. This makes it so you can easily label where to jump to the next song, no more fumbling to find the right spot in your binder.

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I put the 1st page of the lyrics book (the side facing me) into one of the tabbed sheet protectors. Then, I can very quickly flip right to the song we are working on. This set comes with 8 tabs – perfect for the 8 program songs!

Instant Ink – I absolutely love having an ink subscription with Instant Ink! It lets me print 300 pages per month for just $9.99/month. That can be full color photos, flip charts, blank-and-white, or whatever you need to print.

That makes my prints just .03 cents each! For a full color printed page that’s a steal! Best of all, new ink is replaced and shipped right to my door whenever it’s starting to run low so I’m never out. I’m a huge fan of Instant Ink.

It does require an HP connected printer. If you have one of those you’re in luck! If not, consider one the next time you need to replace your printer. Mine is 3 years old and still going strong!

I tried one of those ink refill printers and it was terrible print quality. So for me, this is the very best option.

Use my personal link and you’ll get 1 free month of Instant Ink!

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How to Create a Primary Program Lyrics Book Singing time ideas for Primary Music Leaders ir?t=amosta 20&l=li3&o=1&a=B00006IC7Z
How to Create a Primary Program Lyrics Book Singing time ideas for Primary Music Leaders ir?t=amosta 20&l=li3&o=1&a=B0012VI9V8

How to Create a Primary Program Lyrics Book

I don’t do anything fancy for the primary lyrics book, in fact I get rid of all the pictures in my singing time flip charts and make the text as large as possible! Simple is best, in this case.

I also aim to fit an entire verse on one page, whenever possible. I also choose not to include the words to the chorus at all, as I have found my Primary group knows the chorus – even if they don’t know any of the rest of the words to the song.

Have you heard of a Primary program lyrics book? Simple text Primary flip charts for conducting in the Primary Program or during singing time for music leaders.

I create my lyrics pages in Word. Start by opening a new Word document (or any other word typing program of your choice). Change your page orientation to landscape.

If you print the pages out in a landscape format you can very easily flip one full side of your binder over your conducting stand edge and all the pages will be the right direction for the kids to see them.

Next, set your margins to minimal (.5″ on top, bottom, left, and right). This is about as slim as you can go without the printer complaining about the margins or even cutting off what you’re trying to print.

Have you heard of a Primary program lyrics book? Simple text Primary flip charts for conducting in the Primary Program or during singing time for music leaders.

Then, I type out the words of the song next, exactly as they are show in the songbook. You could also choose to copy and paste the words from the LDS songbook website page for each of the songs. But for me, I didn’t like all the extra spaces and formatting that comes along with a copy/paste.

Now, you’ll want to make the text as large as you possibly can, while still fitting it to a single page. Aim for 55-72+ font size. I also set my font to Bernard MT Condensed. It’s a good chunky and thick text that doesn’t have too much extra spacing between the words and below the line of text.

You can play around with size and spacing as much as you need to until it’s just right.

Have you heard of a Primary program lyrics book? Simple text Primary flip charts for conducting in the Primary Program or during singing time for music leaders.

When your lyrics book Primary flip charts are ready to go, you’ll want to print 2 copies of each flip chart!

You’ll load each page into a sheet protector – with one copy of the song facing the kids and the second copy facing you. The easiest way I found to do this was to lay the page on top of the sheet protector on “top” — the side that would be facing the kids.

Then, flip it back as if it were hole punched and on the rings so that it is now facing downward. Place the second page on top – the one that will face you.

Have you heard of a Primary program lyrics book? Simple text Primary flip charts for conducting in the Primary Program or during singing time for music leaders.

You’ll have the first verse on top facing up and the second verse below with the text facing downward. Now, load those two sheets into the sheet protector.

When you flip the sheet protector over, you’ll now have the 2nd verse facing the kids and a blank sheet protector in your spot.

Repeat by adding the 3rd verse (or 1st verse of the next song) sitting on the top side, flip it over following the rings again, and add the 2nd verse facing you on top.

Again, load this one into the sheet protector. You’ll continue just like that until you’ve made your way through the whole lyrics book.

**If that’s really confusing, just load all the pages facing you, then flip the book around and load the second copy in facing that direction. It’s a little harder to load sheet protectors when there is already a piece of paper inside, but this will work just fine, too! 

Have you heard of a Primary program lyrics book? Simple text Primary flip charts for conducting in the Primary Program or during singing time for music leaders.

Now, you’ll have a great resource on hand and available for you to use while your conducting, reviewing songs, and for use during the Primary program!

If you want help making a lyrics page flip chart – pull up our landing page of all the flip charts we’ve created to get an idea or download and use the ones we have available!

Next, head over to see how I make & use flip charts – including a special flip chart “booklet”!

How to make Primary Flip Charts for singing time song helps LDS Primary music leaders

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