The most common thing I hear from other music teachers is….

“I have no idea how to plan for so many grade levels.”

This is the plight of the specials teacher.

Currently, I teach 9 grade levels (k-8), run two choirs, and vocal music direct my school’s musical. My first year of teaching, it felt nearly impossible to plan for so many grade levels.

But it is POSSIBLE.

And it is possible WITHOUT losing your mind in lesson plans, research, etc.

Here are some tips to help you plan for multiple grade levels!

Certain grades can do the same things as each other.

Here’s what I would recommend to a first year music teacher:

• K/1st grade can do the same lessons as each other.
• 2/3 grade can do the same lessons as each other.
• 4/5/6 can do the same lessons as each other.
• 7/8 can do the same lessons as each other.

There is some flexibility here, but I have found that within these groupings students have similar abilities in terms of musicality, reading, and focus, and they tend to share similar interests. By grouping these ages together, you can cut your planning in half.

A routine will save you planning time.

Every day my K/1st grade students know they will go to their spot on the floor, take attendance, do a vocal exploration, a call and response song, then a known song. This takes up about 10 minutes of the class period and I do it everyday, only needing to change up the songs in my lesson plans.

Having a solid routine can be really good for ensuring that students consistently practice the skills you feel are most important AND it is especially important for exceptional students to feel secure in the classroom. Many IEPs will even suggest a consistent daily routine to maximize student success.

In addition to a beginning of class routine, I have a routine for many other elements of class such as “choice time,” “piano time,” “line-up time,” etc. It takes some time to figure out what routines work for you, but consistency in this will save you significant planning time.

Remember that musical repetition is beneficial for students.

Hearing songs over and over again is actually critical for developing listening skills. Don’t be afraid to use songs over several classes in different ways. For example, one day you might use a certain song for a tonal focus activity, then the next class focus on the rhythm and use it for a game. I like to get as much mileage as possible out of my songs.

This being said, DON’T SWEAT learning a million different songs for different grade levels. Eventually you’ll know all the hits, but at the beginning it is best to focus on a few quality pieces that feature diverse musical elements, (tonalities, meters, styles, and forms) and figure out how you can really delve into these pieces.

Projects can save you planning time with older students.

I LOVE doing projects with my older students. They can be great for students to explore their own interests, work in groups, and they often incorporate technology into the music classroom. In terms of planning, projects are wonderful because they minimize direct instruction (which tends to take a lot of preparation) and tend to stretch over multiple class periods. I regularly do projects with 7-8 grade and sometimes do them with 4-6 grade.

There are many fabulous projects on TPT (even some of my own!) that can save you hours of planning time.

Here is a link to a FREE PROJECT!

Thanks for reading!