As parents, we often feel stress when it becomes time to teach something we are not comfortable with or feel necessarily skilled at. The good news is that no one knows it all! One of the beautiful parts of homeschooling is that we get to learn along with our children. From playing music throughout your house to choosing an online music curriculum, these stress free music ideas include something for everyone.
Musical Mornings
Bringing music into your days at home doesn’t have to involve a formal curriculum. Playing music around the house is a great way to develop music appreciation and introduce your kids to different songs. The beauty of playing worship music in the mornings as everyone is waking up is that it also helps set a peaceful mood and begins each day with worship.
Background Instrumental Music
While this is very similar to playing worship music in the morning, it more specifically includes choosing various types of music your child may not regularly be exposed to. Some examples would be classical or a specific instrument like violin. For some people, having soft instrumental music playing in the background helps them focus on work. For all, it is soothing to listen to and helps facilitate a more calming environment.
Seeds Music
Seeds Family Worship is a company that takes Scripture verses and sets them word by word to music. They make CDs or can be listened to wherever you listen to music online. Listening to these songs throughout the day or in the car can commit these verses to memory, both yours and your children’s. Music is such a fun and effective way to hide Scripture in the heart. The tunes are catchy, and the repetitive lyrics get stuck in your head. What better things to be stuck in your head than the words of Scripture!
Still Singing Curriculum
If you enjoy combining Biblical learning with music but prefer a curriculum to follow, Still Singing from Not Consumed might be just the thing for you! There are 32 hymns included in this study which will get you through the whole school year. The curriculum also includes music theory and extension activities. Each hymn study includes
- the story behind the hymn
- a note-taking sheet
- in-depth Bible study
- music theory lesson (with videos)
- tin whistle lesson (with videos)
- copywork
- extension activities for elementary, middle, and high school
You can even purchase a tin whistle to go along with it and learn to play it. There are instructional videos to help your children learn to play the whistle and learn some music theory. Following a curriculum like this can allow you and your children to learn more about music and the background behind the hymns without the stress of you needing to plan. This open and go curriculum may be just right for you!
Outschool
Outschool is a website that allows you to register your children for any number of classes in many different subjects. It has music lessons, reading lessons, hangouts, lessons on how to take care of certain animals, and much more. Each class you register for has its own fee. You can search the website to find a class that interests you and choose something with dates and times that fit your schedule. You then register for that course and pay the fee. You can sign up for as many as you like.
This website is an option for homeschool parents who want their children to learn music but want to outsource the teaching of this subject.
Squilt Live
Squilt is an online music appreciation program with the option to teach it yourself or to purchase live lessons. You do not need to have any musical background knowledge to teach the lessons yourself. They are set up in easy-to-follow steps to guide you through the concept and the lesson. The creators worked hard to make sure these lessons were easy to teach.
If you decide to choose the Squilt Live membership, there are still different choices for you depending on your family’s needs. You can choose the calendar access which gives you access to past lessons or you can choose Live, which lets you view the lessons live as they come up.
For either of these choices, you do not need a physical product. These lessons are available online and to print if needed.
This is meant to be for families and is set up so that all ages can benefit from it. It is primarily for elementary and middle school students, but there is something for all ages to learn. The activities in the lessons are varied so that all ages and abilities can enjoy them. When you go to the online store, you will see many different units to choose from, including various composers, instruments, and holidays.
Don’t limit your children's learning to what you already know! Be open to learning to
This article has been written by homeschooling staff writers of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our themes page that has a new theme topic added every month!
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).