Musical Story Books | The Best Read Aloud Videos and Activities

Find the best read aloud videos with BONUS follow up activities for musical story books and songs.

Use the searchable musical elements, subject integrations, and grade levels for pre-school and elementary students.

⭐️ BONUS: FOLLOW UP each video with a fun singing game/activity!

How is literature used in an elementary music classroom?

Some teachers purposefully focus on reinforcing both reading and music skills during lessons that integrate children’s literature, while others focus on reinforcing music concepts or skills. 

Brown, Holly Ann, “Children’s Literature in the Elementary General Music Classroom” (2019). Theses and Dissertations. 2162.
https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/2162

Other ideas:

• Use literature to teach and reinforce specific music concepts (tempo, dynamics, tone color, etc.)
• Use books to provide support for pre-reading, reading, and vocabulary exploration.
• Great for one-off lesson needs or sub plans
• Use related musical games/activities for follow-up interactive learning
• Class starter, ender, or transition in the class flow provides routine and structure.

Page Playlist

Moon’s On Fire (PreK-1)

• Length: 6:30
• Music Elements: male/female voices, lullaby, chorus, key of Em
• Subject Integration: harvest moon, shadows, cowboys/cowgirls

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⭐️ Follow-up Game: Sally Go Round the Sun (moon)

Old McDonald Had a Truck (PreK-1)

• Length: 4:20
• Music Elements: repetition, Key of Bb
• Subject Integration: types of trucks/construction equipment, monster truck, grandstands, audience

⭐️ Follow-up Game: *Farmer in the Dell

*I update the lyrics replacing wife with partner or friend.

Cowboy Lullaby (PreK-1)

• Length: 3:17
• Music Elements: male voices, lullaby, guitar/violin/piano, key of F
• Subject Integration: cowboys, animals, sleeping, SEL, calming down, dreams

⭐️ Follow-up Game: Grizzly Bear (sleeping in a cave)

Rhythm Rescue (PreK-2)

• Length: 4:00
• Music Elements: rhythm, beat
• Subject Integration: helpfulness, kindness

⭐️ Follow-up Game: Plainsies Clapsies

A Hole In the Bottom of the Sea (PreK-2)

• Length: 3:15
• Music Elements: cumulative verses, Key of E,
• Subject Integration: ocean, fish,

⭐️ Follow-up Game: Charlie Over the Ocean

Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo (PreK-2)

• Length: 7:00
• Music Elements: refrain, instruments of the orchestra
• Subject Integration: animals, concert etiquette

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⭐️ Follow-up Activities: Coloring sheets, piggyback songs, and more at SPLYouth

Family Dynamics (K-3)

• Length: 7:43
• Music Elements: Instruments of the Orchestra
• Subject Integration: Embracing differences

⭐️ Follow-up Game: Four Corners

The 4 corners represent the four families. After choosing a corner, T puts up a picture of an instrument. All those in that instrument’s corner are out. Images and sounds can be found here.

Allegro (K-3)

• Length: 5:15
• Music Elements: piano, instrumental music, melody, expression
• Subject Integration: practicing, exploring, moods, frustration

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⭐️ Follow-up Activity: Boomwhacker Piano

Get Boomwhackers, push the PLAY button, then using the number keys, echo play patterns. (i.e. T plays 1, 2, 3 and Ss play C, D, E) YOU will be in control of the keyboard. I don’t know how it works but it does!!!

Trombone Shorty (K-5)

• Length: 9:00
• Music Elements: Trombone Shorty, brass instruments, Jazz
• Subject Integration: New Orleans, Mardi Gras, gumbo, Bo Diddley, Tremé

⭐️ Follow-up Activities: More about Trombone Shorty

Where Y’At? Boomwhacker Play Along

Hurricane Season Move It

Hurricane Season Rhythm Play along

CBS Evening News Interview

To Be a Drum (2-5)

• Length: 6:30
• Music Elements: drums, rhythm, body percussion,
• Africa, slavery, culture, adversity, strength, Black History

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⭐️ Follow-up Activity: Drum Circle

Sit in a drum circle. To each student in the circle, T plays the rhythm to, “What’s your name?” and each student plays back the rhythm to their name.

More Great Literature in the Music Room