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Year 1

Reading simple rhythms

I can read and chant four beat rhythms.

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New
New
Year 1

Reading simple rhythms

I can read and chant four beat rhythms.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Many of the songs and games we play have a call and response structure.
  2. When we chant and clap to a steady pulse, we are chanting a rhythm.
  3. We clap on each syllable of the chant to create a rhythm.
  4. For these fruit chants, our one syllable words can be written as Ta and our two syllable words as Ta-di.

Keywords

  • Call and response - a question and answer musical structure

  • Rhythm - the pattern of sounds that we play and sing

  • Chant - speaking in time to a pulse

  • Syllable - a part of a word

Common misconception

Responses are always the same in call and response songs.

The response can be different every time. The call can also be different. Call and response can be any kind of back and forth musical conversation.


To help you plan your year 1 music lesson on: Reading simple rhythms, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Once pupils feel confident with clapping a rhythm, you might use a drum to keep the steady pulse for them to clap to. Counting in with 'ready, steady off we go' or a steady '1, 2, 3, 4' will help pupils start together.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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4 Questions

Q1.
It is important to warm up before music because...
it makes us learn really hard songs.
it is something we are told to do.
Correct answer: it keeps our voices safe from getting hurt.
Q2.
Pulse is...
An image in a quiz
the way the music is organised.
Correct answer: the regular, steady heartbeat of the music.
the pattern of sounds that we play and sing.
Q3.
Why do we sometimes write music down?
Correct answer: To remember it for another day.
Because it is the only way we can learn new songs.
Q4.
Call and response is like a question and musical structure.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: answer, Answer

4 Questions

Q1.
True or false? A response is always the same in a call and response song.
Correct Answer: false, False
Q2.
When we chant and clap to a steady pulse, we are speaking a...
chord
melody
beat
Correct answer: rhythm
Q3.
Which of these images shows the rhythm for 'pear?'
Correct answer: Ta
Ta-di
Q4.
This is the rhythm for...
An image in a quiz
big green sweet pear
juicy round green grapes
Correct answer: bright, shiny, red apple