New
New
Year 1
Singing call and response songs
I can sing a response and know what a call and response song is.
New
New
Year 1
Singing call and response songs
I can sing a response and know what a call and response song is.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- We warm up before singing so that our bodies, minds and voices are ready to sing.
- We can use our voices to chant and sing together.
- We can sing together or on our own and know when it is our turn to sing.
- We know that a response is an answer to a call and can create different responses to a call.
Keywords
Chant - speaking in time to a pulse
Song - music with words
Echo - an exact copy of a musical phrase
Call and response - a question and answer musical structure
Common misconception
Echo and call and response are the same.
An echo is an exact match of a phrase. A call and response is a question and answer structure in which the response can be different from the call.
Puppets or other props can be really helpful when singing call and response songs. The children know that whoever has the puppet or prop sings the call and then the rest of the class sing the response.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Optional: puppet
Licence
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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Starter quiz
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4 Questions
Q1.
Before we sing, what should we always do to keep our voices growing strong and healthy?
Q2.
Match the type of music to the type of voice used.
use our speaking voice in time to the pulse
create music with our words using high sounds and low sounds
Q3.
An echo is...
when we sing or chant something different to the leader.
when we sing or chant something similar to the leader.
Q4.
Sometimes we sing and chant together. Sometimes we sing and chant on our own. We need to know when it is our turn to sing. Match the signal to type of singing.
We begin the song or chant.
We echo the leader.
We listen to the leader.
We echo the leader.
Exit quiz
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4 Questions
Q1.
In a call and response song, when the leader is singing, everybody else should...
sing the call at the same time as the leader.
listen to the leader and then wait for the leader to keep singing.
Q2.
Which of these is not a call and response song?
A Keelie Makolay
Rico's Pizza Restaurant
Q3.
What type of song is Kye, Kye Kule?
Q4.
Rico's Pizza Restaurant is a call and response song. Match the phrases to say whether they are either a call or a response.
call
response
call
response
call
response