Singing to Success: Songs for Schools

Posted by in primary school songs

Over the years, singing in schools has become increasingly popular and it has numerous educational and personal benefits for children. Songs in schools now work as a cohesive educational aid in the class schedule of many teachers. So what are the advantages of using primary school songs in the classroom?

Advantages of Primary School Songs

Singing works the ‘memory muscle’, helping children to take in and remember key information using repetitive rhyme and melody. Learning a piece of educational material attached to a tune provides a memory platform for children to refer back to as they associate that information with a positive singing experience. This is evident in how we teach our children the alphabet, with children often reciting the letters to the well-known melody that is widely used across the UK.

Music is also a great form of expression, an important tool for a child’s personal development throughout school. Through primary school songs, children learn about themselves and the world around them. Many children do not associate singing with ‘work’ meaning that they are motivated to learn in the classroom. As children express themselves through song, personal confidence and enjoyment is increased which represses the urge to become distracted and demote the learning process.

Songs for schools also promote active social learning and in particular, the importance of teamwork. With music, children work as a team to create a memorable melody and learn to taken turns when singing in order for the song structure to work coherently. Other social benefits include co-operation with fellow classmates and the importance of sharing as different musical ‘roles’ are assigned to every pupil. The musical environment also inspires creativity, something that should be nurtured from a young age to foster the long-term imagination of every child. All these social skills aid in the personal development of a child, helping them to forge friendships and communicate effectively with other children and adults.

Children in primary schools are often more enthused to count, spell or remember sequential events when the process is accompanied by song. Music ignites intellectual growth, helping the body and the mind to work together by exposing children to the sound and meaning of words. With all these benefits combined, music has a substantial positive impact on a child’s educational and social progression and general enjoyment in school.

There are many musical resources which are readily available online. Out of the Ark have a number of curriculum songbooks so children can easily absorb vital lessons through a good sing-song. Their range of curriculum songbooks diversely explores subjects such as World War Two all the way through to literacy and spelling, helping to supplement a creative curriculum for the classroom.