In our learning styles song planner, there are so many fun ideas and activities you can incorporate into your singing time, but sometimes too many choices aren’t always a good thing! To help you focus in on planning and match activities with the Primary Music Learning Styles by song type to make the most of all the singing time ideas.
Song Types Explained
I’ve broken down songs into three broad categories. Those are: Slow & Flowy, Fast & Upbeat, and Long & Wordy songs.
Slow & Flowy – This category covers song that generally have a slow tempo maybe in the 50-90 range. But regardless of the tempo, the song feels like it sings slowly with words stretching from one line to the next. The words often flow from one word to the next. Here are some example songs of this type:
- My Heavenly Father Loves Me
- A Child’s Prayer
- I Feel My Savior’s Love
- Love One Another
Fast & Upbeat – This songs have a quick tempo with notes that are often played with a quick and spunky melody. They may have a tempo in the range of 90-160. Many of these songs have an upbeat, which is when some of the notes are accentuated or stand out. Here are some example songs of this type:
- Stand for the Right
- I Will Be Valiant
- The Holy Ghost
- Choose the Right Way
Long & Wordy – A third category that I like to separate out is for songs that are especially long in length or with a bunch of words to learn. These can be slow or fast songs. I like to separate these out because some instruments, patterns, or activities are better suited to shorter songs.
Often, these are songs that are more modern sounding songs not found in the Children’s Songbook, but there are a few in the songbook as well that are long and wordy. Here are some example songs of this type:
- I Will Be What I Believe
- Gethsemane
- When He Comes Again
- He Sent His Son
Primary Learning Styles By Song Type
Keep in mind, you can use most any of these activities with any song, but some styles are bettered geared towards a slower paced song or to a faster paced song and some work really good to break down really long songs.
Don’t think this breakdown here is the only way to use this activities, instead use this as a guide to help you when planning your singing time ideas! With that, let’s dive into the list!
*Downloads are available at the bottom of the post when signed in!*
1. Purposeful Movement
See all these ideas explained in our post
with 12 Purposeful Movement Activities
Slow & Flowy:
- Scarves
- Ribbon Wands
- Be My Mirror
- Sway and Freeze
Fast & Upbeat:
- Body Rhythm
- Hand Clap Patterns
- Cup Patterns
- Dance Routine
Long & Wordy:
- Directional Marching
- Yoga
- Sign Language
- Movement Words
2. Word Representations
See all these ideas explained in our post
with 12 Word Activities for Singing Time
Slow & Flowy:
- Concentration Games
- Foreign Language
- Scrambled Words
- Word Search
Fast & Upbeat:
- Eraser Pass
- Missing Word
- Hangman Blanks
- Puzzle Letter/Words
Long & Wordy:
- Action Words
- Fill-in-the-Blank
- Word Strips
- Crossword Puzzle
3. Logical Conclusions
See all these ideas explained in our post with
12 Logical Conclusion activities for Singing Time
Slow & Flowy:
- Melody Chart
- First Letters
- Compare/Contrast
- Line Matching
Fast & Upbeat:
- Crack the Code
- Rebus
- Number Problems
- Bar Graph
Long & Wordy:
- Color Code
- Word Map
- What Comes Next
- Riddles
4. Visual Intrigue
See all these ideas explained in our
post with 12 Visual Intrigue activities
Slow & Flowy:
- Playdoh
- Draw the Song
- Magic Crayon
- Painting
Fast & Upbeat:
- Song Picture Puzzle
- Video Clip / Story
- Finger Lights
- Object Lesson
Long & Wordy:
- Art / Drawing
- Dropped Pictures
- What’s in the Bag
- Picture Match
5. Spiritual Connection
See all these ideas explained in our post with
12 different Spiritual Connection Activities
Slow & Flowy:
- Song Story
- Piano Solo
- Guest Performance
- Music/Story video
Fast & Upbeat:
- New Arrangement
- Scripture Connection
- Personal Story
- Words of the Prophet
Long & Wordy:
- Silent Video
- Testimony
- Sensing the Holy Ghost
- Song Testimony
6. People Interactions
See all these ideas explained in our post with
People Interaction Activities in Singing Time
Slow & Flowy:
- Partner Arm Swings
- Singing Bee
- Mirror a Partner
- Rolling Rhythm Sticks
Fast & Upbeat:
- Rhythm Partners
- Competition Game
- Partner Band
- Learn & Teach Task
Long & Wordy:
- Acting
- Small Group Tasks
- Team Manipulatives
- Envelope Challenge
7. Living Music
See all these ideas explained in our post with
Living Music Activities for Singing Time
Slow & Flowy:
- Hand Bells
- Sand Blocks
- Egg Cartons
- Maori Sticks
Fast & Upbeat:
- Jingle Bells
- Rhythm Sticks
- Drums
- Clap Instead
Long & Wordy:
- Egg Shakers
- Paper Plates
- Beat vs Rhythm
- Ooohs, Aaahs
8. Awareness of Nature
See all these ideas explained in our
post with 7 Nature and Senses Activities
Slow & Flowy:
- Smell
- Feelings
- Sensory Bin
Fast & Upbeat:
- Sound
- Taste
- Hidden Object
Long & Wordy:
- Sight
- Touch
- Object Lesson
Head over to our Primary Learning Styles landing page to learn more about using the different learning styles teaching music! I have tons of lesson plans and ideas that teach with the different music styles.
Printable Learning Styles by Song Type Chart
This printable provides a really neat and organized 1-page chart with each of the singing styles and song types and each of the ideas categorized. It will be a perfect go-to when planning singing time ideas for Primary!
To access the free in-post printables for this post, you’ll just need to create a free account or login with the Grow.me tool. Then, confirm by email and refresh the page and ALL my free printables will automatically unlock in every post!
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Head over next to grab our Song Planner Worksheet. It’s the perfect companion to this post to utilize while planning singing time ideas for your Primary songs!
What have your experiences been? Any of these ideas you’d arrange differently?
