Diction - Singing Understandably

As I have listened to Primary programs throughout the years, although wonderful, most often we don't understand all the words - unless we know the song.

One thing that helps the most is teaching children to sing the words correctly. That means actually pronouncing all the consonants and singing on the vowels. Putting "t's" and "d's" on the end of words is probably the biggest challenge.  Children tend to think the word rather than saying/singing it. "S's" seem to be over done particularly with children - they love to "sssss."

As a primary music director, it is your job to help the children sing beautifully and understandably to help bring the spirit as we, the listeners, understand the words, hence the meaning.  Because the director already knows the words, we forget to really listen as the children sing to see if what they are singing can be understood.

To help with this challenge, here is a helpful activity to add when you teach a new song or review old songs:

• on 5" by 7" cards write the letter that you can't hear or need the children to think about saying.  I have a card for the following letters: T, D, V, K and C, P, L, B, R, G, M, N.  
• Using an 8 1/2" by 11" piece of card stock and with cotton balls outline an "S" - which means to sing a "soft" S.

These cards have helped children sing these letters so we can hear them - thus understanding the song.