Singing in a round

Ages 6 to 8 Read together, then try alone · about 20 minutes

Read together

In a round, everyone sings the same tune, but starts at different times.

The parts weave together to make harmony.

To sing a round well, listen to the others while you keep your own part.

Do it

1. Learn a simple round, such as “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” or “Frère Jacques” (“Fray Santiago” in Spanish).
2. First sing it all together. Then divide into two groups. Group two starts when group one reaches the second line.
3. Try three groups. Keep a steady beat by tapping.
4. Record yourselves or tell each other what you heard.

Talk about it

• What did you hear when the groups sang together?
• How did you keep your own part?

For the grown-up

Rounds teach listening and keeping time, and they are fun in families and classes. Many hymns and folk songs can be sung as rounds. Keep the volume friendly.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• Iona and Peter Opie, The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (Oxford University Press, 1951; 2nd ed. 1997)
• Lois Choksy, The Kodály Method I: Comprehensive Music Education, 3rd ed. (Prentice Hall, 1999), on teaching rounds and canons

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.