How to Use Music During Transitions in Kindergarten

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Transitions can be a scary time in Kindergarten. Supplies start flying, voices get loud, and movement is chaotic. If you have any transitions in your classroom that fill you with dread, I have a teacher tip for you today! Using music during transitions has several benefits for both you and your students. Keep reading to learn more about using music in your classroom!

Benefits of Music During Transitions

Using music during your classroom transitions has many benefits. A few of which are:

A Built-In Wiggle Break

With all of the time constraints on our days, it can be tough to get the movement worked in that little learners need! When you use music during your transitions, you get students up and dancing…while they are also cleaning up and getting ready for a new activity! It’s the best of all worlds.

Noise Control

When students are listening to a song, they aren’t talking. It seems counter-intuitive, but playing a song actually controls the volume of your classroom. Set expectations by teaching students that transition music is meant to be heard, not talked over. As an added bonus, when the song is over, your students are already quiet and ready to listen to the next set of instructions.

Time Parameters

Using a song as your transition time creates a timer! Teach your students that they have until the song is over to finish transitioning to the next activity. This encourages students to move quickly and stay focused.

Transition Tango

If you’re convinced that using music during transitions in the way to go, I have a resource that will help you get started! My ‘Transitions Tango’ resource has everything you need to teach your students to take control of your transition time with music! Here’s how you use it:

  1. Hang a Transition Tango board somewhere that is easy for all students to see.
  2. Before a transition, place a ‘voice level’ card in the first box. This makes your expectations for student behavior clear and easy to understand.
  3. One of the boards gives the option to set a movement style for your students. You can choose to hang a card that tells students to move by dancing, playing air guitar, etc.
  4. Both boards have a square that indicates the final location students should be at by the time the song is over. This may be your rug, desks, lined up at the door, etc. Whatever the final goal is, place that card in the ‘location’ box.

When you get ready to begin a transition, place the cards with the visual directions on your Tango Board. Start the song, and watch the magic happen! You can grab Transition Tango by clicking HERE. And, read more about smooth transitions in kindergarten in these blog posts.

Happy teaching, friends!