Unit Plan 18 (PreK Music): Performing with Confidence
PreK music unit building confidence through singing, movement, and simple performances, teaching kids to start/stop, face an audience, and share songs proudly.
Focus: Perform music with enjoyment and growing confidence in front of others.
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: Music (Exploring • Performing • Responding • Connecting)
Total Unit Duration: 2–3 sessions (2+ weeks), 20–30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, children practice sharing music with others in ways that feel fun and safe. Through simple songs, chants, and movements, they learn how to stand, focus, and perform together as a class. The teacher gently introduces performance expectations (where to stand, when to start, when to stop) while helping children notice and name feelings like nervous and excited. By the end of the unit, students participate in a short, informal sharing time where they perform for classmates or another friendly audience.
Essential Questions
- How can we show confidence with our bodies and voices when we perform for others?
- What does it look and sound like to be a good performer and a good audience member?
- How can practicing the same song more than once help us feel ready and proud to share it?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Sing or chant familiar songs with supportive, expressive voices in front of others.
- Demonstrate basic performance behaviors: standing in a spot, facing the audience, starting and stopping with the teacher.
- Practice songs and movements using simple teacher feedback (try again, sing softer/louder, start together).
- Share how they felt while performing (nervous, excited, proud) using simple feeling words or gestures.
Standards Alignment — PreK Music (Exploring • Performing • Responding)
- MU:Pr6.1.PK — Perform music for others.
- Children share music in informal settings.
- Example: Singing for another class or caregivers.
- MU:Pr5.1.PK — Perform music with expression and enjoyment.
- Children sing, chant, or move with engagement and confidence.
- Example: Singing familiar songs with gestures.
Success Criteria — Student-Friendly Language
- I can stand in my spot, look at the teacher, and sing or move with my class.
- I can try my best singing voice and show the feeling of the song with my face and body.
- I can start and stop with the teacher and stay with the group.
- I can say (or show) how I felt when I performed (for example, nervous, excited, proud).