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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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New
New
Year 1

Singing call and response songs

I can sing a response and know what a call and response song is.

Link copied to clipboard

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. We warm up before singing so that our bodies, minds and voices are ready to sing.
  2. We can use our voices to chant and sing together.
  3. We can sing together or on our own and know when it is our turn to sing.
  4. 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.


To help you plan your year 1 music lesson on: Singing call and response songs, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

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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4 Questions

Q1.
Before we sing, what should we always do to keep our voices growing strong and healthy?
Correct Answer: warm up, warm-up, get warmed-up, do some warm-up exercises
Q2.
Match the type of music to the type of voice used.
Correct Answer:chant,use our speaking voice in time to the pulse

use our speaking voice in time to the pulse

Correct Answer:song,create music with our words using high sounds and low sounds

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.
Correct answer: when we sing or chant an exact copy of a musical phrase.
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.
Correct Answer:Ready, steady, off we go.,We begin the song or chant.

We begin the song or chant.

Correct Answer:Leader puts their hand to their ear.,We echo the leader.

We echo the leader.

Correct Answer:Leader puts their hand to their chest.,We listen to the leader.

We listen to the leader.

Correct Answer:Leader puts their hands outstretched.,We echo the leader.

We echo the leader.

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.
Correct answer: listen to the leader and then sing the response.
listen to the leader and then wait for the leader to keep singing.
Q2.
Which of these is not a call and response song?
Correct answer: Down by the Bay
A Keelie Makolay
Rico's Pizza Restaurant
Q3.
What type of song is Kye, Kye Kule?
Correct Answer: echo, Echo, echo song, Echo song
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.
Correct Answer:What size?,call

call

Correct Answer:medium,response

response

Correct Answer:What toppings?,call

call

Correct Answer:pepperoni,response

response

Correct Answer:What crust?,call

call

Correct Answer:cheesy crust,response

response