Using Mini Lessons in Elementary Music: 3 Key Factors for Using Mini Lessons in Elementary Music 

Ready for my unpopular opinion for the day? Teaching elementary music whole group all day long SUCKS! There, I said it. Many elementary music teachers see 6-7 grade levels each day. Being “on” for that whole time is exhausting…and not realistic. 

Now are you ready for the solution?! *screams YAASSSSS!* Two words, y’all. 

Mini Lessons

Mini lessons that are short, focused, and simple are a great way to get a lot of information to your class in a short amount of time! This leaves room for independent work later on! When I tell you that this idea has changed my life, I’m not exaggerating. Today, I’m going to walk you through what a mini lesson can look like in your classroom!

Though I’m a huge proponent of independent work, these mini lessons are meant to be taught to the whole group at once. I usually have my class sit on my music rug for this portion of the lesson. 

Short

They’re called “mini lessons” for a reason, y’all! I try to keep this portion of my class to about 10-15 minutes. I know that doesn’t seem like enough time, but hear me out! 

I had a teacher tell me once that a student’s attention span is the same as their age. For example, a 6 year old has a 6 minute attention span. Now, that’s not exactly scientific, but it’s a really good idea to keep in mind when planning your mini lesson! 

Bonus, since the mini lesson is only about 10 minutes, it will be much easier to keep your kiddos engaged and learning! 

Focused

The most important factor when planning your mini lesson is that you are focused on one topic or concept. If your lesson is heavy with lots of different concepts, you’ll lose the attention of your students. Remember, you only have 10-15 minutes, so don’t get distracted! 

Your goal is to get as much information out to your students in as little time as possible. This will look different for every teacher. Some ideas are teaching a new song and game, using slides to present a new concept, or showing a short video to review a previously learned concept. Plan what is best for your students. You know better than anyone else what they can do in a short amount of time! 

Simple

I know what you’re thinking…there’s no way I can teach a new concept in 10 minutes! You will be surprised how much you can accomplish once you simplify the process! 

One of my most recent mini lessons for first grade looked something like this: 

• Read a picture book
• Teach a new song
• Add body percussion to the new song
• Play the game associated with the new song

I accomplished all of that in under 15 minutes. Remember what I said about being focused?! Afterward, my kiddos moved to an independent activity where they were identifying rhythms associated with that new song. 

Don’t overcomplicate things! (I’m saying this to myself as well!) The main focus of your mini lesson is that the students are grasping the concept or topic you’re talking about! 

I’m going to give you a challenge. Try planning a mini lesson for one class next week. Just one class! See how you can simplify your instruction to include as much information as possible in a short amount of time! 

Once you teach that lesson, come back here and comment to let me know how it went! You can also DM me on Instagram! I can’t wait to hear your experience with this new idea of mini lessons in elementary music!