My Favorite Songs for Teaching Quarter Rests
Hot Cross Buns
Hot Cross Buns is a classic for students learning BAG on recorder. If recorders are part of your sequence for upper grades this is a great one for double dipping! Use it to teach a quarter rest in Grade 1 and then pull it back out in grade 4 or 5.
Bow Wow Wow
I like this song because of how much students like it. If you're not familiar with it yet, there's a great circle dance that goes along with the song that involves turning to face a new partner each time the song is sung. The students' faces light up every time they face someone new as their partner.
Naughty Kitty Cat
This song is a hit with students because of the game that goes with it. It involves running so you may want to play it outside, or modify the instructions to "speed walking" instead.
Tinker Tailor
This one is my personal favorite for teaching a quarter rest. I like it because the students are naturally listening for the "beat without a sound" as we play the game. Making the quarter rest an essential part of the song is a great way to prepare students for labeling it later since they're so aware of it in the preparation phase.
