There is an abundance of literature for the music classroom and even more children’s literature that isn’t musical, but is definitely usable in the music room. There are a plethora of ways we can use books in the classroom (which is great if your admin is on a literacy kick), so let’s take a look at ways we can use books in the elementary music class. (Heads up – a few affiliate links. It won’t change your price and I get a small kickback. No pressure!)
Books with a musical hook
There is a huge collection of books that are songs, song tales, folk songs, kids’ songs, etc. These are an obvious one to include in the music class because the song is already built in. They are great for tying a lesson together, for working with a specific rhythmic or melodic concept, or even other musical concepts like form, dynamics, and tempo. Some of these can be books that have great high/low connotations, or images that are wonderful for vocal exploration.
Favorite Example: There are so many but I personally love the Filipino folk song books I have in my collection. There are a few of them and what I love about them is that they include the notated music, information about the specific group of people in the Philippines, and the books are presented in English as well as the original dialect. I’m going to pick “Kaisa-Isa Niyan” for this one. It’s also got information on Kulintang ensembles which are common in the south region of the Philippines. Get it here.
Books to teach a concept
Some books teach a concept without being specifically musical, although a lot of them are.. There are a lot of children’s books that are great for high/low, fast/slow, or have a very obvious rhythmic pattern or an obvious rhythm in the text. There are also a lot of new books that teach concepts like note names, instruments, learning about the recorder, and more. These are great books because there is an obvious reason to read them and may be a great place to start if you want to add to a classroom library. They are often the hardest to find in school and public libraries.
Favorite Examples:
The Song Garden – this is such a fun one, has a nice theme of confidence and is a great combination with teaching composition. Plus you can add a melodic element to the composition which is harder to come by. Get the book here.
Read more about it here: https://mrsstouffersmusicroom.com/two-great-spring-composing-resources/
Around the World in 80 Musical Instruments – This guide book style book has colorful illustrations of instruments as well as some pages talking about how instruments were used. While it doesn’t cover all the instruments by any means, it is a fun book to add to your library and perfect for kids that may finish early and want to browse something with short snippets. Get the book here..
Books for creation
These are books that aren’t necessarily musical (they don’t teach a musical element or are focused on a song), but they feel musical. They are great for creating sound stories, for making into programs, and may be extremely artful in their illustrations. They involve the imagination, help students create mental pictures.
Favorite Example:
City Street Beat – This one has so many sounds. You could easily have a child work with a partner and each create a rhythm or melodic pattern to go with the sound words. It’s got a natural rhythm, fun, colorful pictures, and feels musical right away. Get the book here
Biographies
There are a bunch of books about musicians, composers, dancers, and performers. What’s simply amazing is that the amount of options are not only exponentially increasing, but there are books (finally) that feature people outside of the Western Classical tradition. There are now biographies for musicians from Hip-Hop, Motown, Soul, Rock, Pop, and some outside of common genres as well. They are great ways to introduce a variety of cultures and possibilities in your classroom as well as help your students experience music from people of diverse backgrounds.
Favorite Example:
The Red Piano – Maybe I’m partial because there aren’t a lot of biographies of Asian musicians yet, but this one kind of hits you in the heart. It is about Zhu Xiao-Mei who was far away from her family in a labor camp during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. She snuck out to practice piano until she was caught and what she faced because of her love of music. Get the book here.
Books to tie a lesson together
These aren’t musical. There isn’t a concept to teach. These are just great children’s literature to read your students. They can have SEL themes, be a funny story, or simply be on the theme. If you have a lesson featuring bee songs, read a bee themed book. If it’s a lesson where you want to read the rhythm for Mary Had a Little Lamb, read the book Mary Had a Little Ham (not like that!) These books are simply books you love that you want to include. Sometimes it’s about performing and nerves. Sometimes they are books that help students feel seen and you want to read a book to tie into a culture you are studying.
Favorite example:
This is a hard category to pick a favorite but I’ll have to go with Buzzy the Bumblebee. This one is an adorable little book about self-confidence and perfect for bee themed lessons. Plus I kinda want to squeeze that little bee’s cheeks. He’s so cute. I even made this one into a concert for students a couple of times with music added between pages to go with what was happening in the story. Get the book here.
Other Books
There are lot of other reasons to bring in a book. Learn about a culture, help a child feel seen, bring some social emotional learning into the classroom, and sometimes to help talk about an issue in your classroom. If you love a book, find a way to use it!
Looking for more info on books?
Find a book! I got sick of screenshots, post its, and random notes everywhere so I consolidated my list into one big list. Check out The Ultimate Music Ed Book List here: www.theultimatemusicedbooklist.com. This list is always going, and is always free!
I hope this has given you pages of ideas!
