Lesson Plan for the First Week of 1st Grade
If you haven’t already, check out my post on the first week of kindergarten music.
For me, the first week isn’t about dumping every rule and expectation on students at once. If I taught these students in kindergarten, they might remember many of my expectations already, so this week will serve as a refresher. If they’re a brand-new group for me, I stick mainly to the expectations we truly need for that day. No need to cover every possible rule if we won’t even use it yet!
Instead, I spend this week reconnecting (or getting to know them for the first time), making music together and reviewing concepts from last year, and setting the tone for a positive, engaging year. We start with a few key routines and expectations, but my main goal is to build relationships and spark excitement for music class right away.
Let’s get into our plans for our first week of 1st Grade!
Establish Expectations From the Door
Similar to Kindergarten, your entrance routine is going to be important for a successful class time. Before your students arrive, it is important for you to set the tone. How do you want students to enter your classroom? Are they walking to a steady beat as you play the drums? Are they singing a welcome song? If there is one expectation that you should set and practice on the first couple days of class, it is this one because how students enter the class really sets the tone for the duration of the class time. I typically keep my routine similar for Kindergarten through 2nd Grade.
You can take a look at my monthly hello song playlist to give you a starting point.
If you are teaching on a cart (as I did for a couple of years), it’s important to build a rapport with the classroom teacher and let them know your expectations for when you enter their classroom.
Movement Activity
This song is always a favorite with first graders! On the first day of music class, I always plan to include some movement activities because these students are full of energy and ready to wiggle.
I especially love this song because it works as a getting-to-know-you activity. You get to learn a little about each of your students, and if you join in the fun, they will learn something about you, too.
Summer Recap
Kids love to talk about what they did over the summer, so I like to incorporate time for them to do that in our first class together. It’s a great way to get to know them and their family, but it’s also a way to get participation from some of the students that may not want to contribute right away. There’s also a worksheet in the Getting to Know You worksheets below that where students can talk about their summer.
Name Games
If you’ve taught this group before you might already remember some names, but it’s always a good idea to incorporate name games during the first week of school, as you may have some new students joining.
A good way to learn names is to also have assigned seats.
Instruments
I found this cute iconic rhythm play along on Youtube and thought it would be a good review for 1st Grade. You can have them use rhythm sticks.
Getting to Know You Activities
Getting to know my students is always a top priority in those first few days. I have found that taking time to connect early helps set a positive tone for the entire year. This is one of my favorite getting-to-know-you activities because it is quick, fun, and works perfectly as a brain break you can bring back anytime you need a little boost.
It is the same This or That activity I use in kindergarten, but with first grade you can add a fun twist. For example, give each student two instruments. They can use rhythm sticks for “this” and egg shakers for “that.” This makes the game more engaging and allows you to use instruments during the first week.
I love using these getting-to-know-you worksheets at the start of the year. There are a bunch of different versions, so you can use them with multiple grade levels without repeating the exact same activity. They make it super easy for students to share a little about themselves while you start learning more about your new class.
If you want to see exactly what’s inside, check out the preview video on the product page—it walks you through all the worksheets you’ll get.
Read Aloud
Books are a wonderful way to bring literacy into the music classroom. I recommend having a physical copy to read to your students, but a YouTube read-aloud can work well too.
Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes is perfect for reviewing the four voices with first graders. It reinforces a musical concept they learned in kindergarten and also reminds them which voice levels are appropriate in different parts of the school.
I also have a playlist of other books that are great for the first week of school. Check it out here.
If you use the book as a four voices review these are slides you can use.
Back-to-School Choice Board
If you want a lesson that is already done for you, this back-to-school choice board is perfect. These 8 different activities will help jumpstart your first few days of school. (There is one for each grade level so you can get the grade that you need or get the bundle and save.)
Need Lesson Plans for September?
Lesson plans for September are coming soon! You can check back later, but if you subscribe below, I’ll send you a quick note as soon as they’re ready, along with other helpful resources you can use in your K–5 music classroom.
