How I Teach a Rhythm Play-Along in My Elementary Music Classroom
How I Teach a Rhythm Play-Along in My Elementary Music Classroom
(Featuring “Sing About Martin”)
I thought I would share a behind-the-scenes look at how I use a simple rhythm play-along video in my elementary music classroom—one that’s easy to implement, flexible across grade levels, and perfect for review or assessment.
This week, my students are singing “Sing About Martin” by Miss Jackie Weissman, and I created a play-along video that works for multiple developmental levels within the same lesson.
Built for Differentiation
One of my favorite things about this play-along is that it meets students where they are:
Younger elementary students work with just two rhythm patterns, making it an accessible and confidence-building review activity.
Older elementary students have the option to explore melodic direction and perform the patterns on Boomwhackers using:
notation only, or
solfège
This makes it easy to reuse the same resource across classes while still keeping the learning intentional and age-appropriate.
How I Use This with Younger Elementary
When I introduce this with younger students, we focus only on the two rhythm patterns. To keep engagement high and involve every student, I use Wheel of Names (https://wheelofnames.com/).
Here’s how it works:
I add all student names to the wheel (you can also include images or emojis since it’s a text-based tool).
I customize the wheel—students love seeing fun themes, animations, and sound effects.
When we spin the wheel, the selected student comes up, claps the rhythm, and the class echoes it together.
We don’t repeat the pattern eight times—just enough to feel successful and confident before moving on.
Customizing the Wheel = Instant Engagement
What really hooks students is the customization:
Random music during the spin
Applause, jokes, or a “ding” for correct answers
Confetti or animation for the selected student
Fun themes like cookie, cotton candy, or other colorful designs
If you have a large class, you can group students and spin the wheel multiple times. While the wheel spins, the rest of the class dances—and they love watching the wheel change sounds and visuals.
Once all selected students are chosen, they perform the rhythm together, and the class echoes it back.
Why This Works So Well
This approach turns a simple play-along into:
A self-assessment tool for students
A quick formative assessment for teachers
A collaborative group learning experience
An engaging way to review rhythms without worksheets
It’s especially powerful when paired with a slideshow or projected play-along video.
Grab the Free Play-Along
If you’d like to try this exact play-along with your students, it’s free on my Buy Me a Coffee page.
The link is in my bio.
I hope this gives you a practical idea you can use right away—whether for review, assessment, or simply adding a little extra joy and movement to your music classroom. 🎶