So She Reads

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The Power of School Songs: Why Children Benefit From Folk Music

Every September, that’s the same old bell a-ringing in the little red schoolhouse.

I hear a discordant note when grade school children sing songs about redemption or wasted years or being lost. There is an inharmonious feeling between what I hear and what I see. Innocent children but words for adults. Childish voices with the weight of the world. Teacher, there’s something you can do!

Let them sing school songs.

The time will come soon enough when these mature songs will be the language of their heart, but let’s not rush it. School songs require students to sing four part harmony with just as much skill as the songs for adults. Do not deny this generation the privilege of participating in this custom that’s as old as the hills.

Folk songs stimulate interest in our cultural heritage. These songs are full of the pathos, humor, whimsey, struggle, tragedy and triumph of the human condition. They stir the heart with the varied experiences of people long ago and across the globe.

As the young learn these songs for the first time, those nodding by the fireside have poignant memories brought to mind. These songs of long ago are still the songs of today. Their enduring quality lies in the pleasure we get from singing together.

Merry sings the lark at the break of day, and our children should, too.

Let them sing about working on the railroad, or short’nin’ bread or Bendemeer’s stream. They can sing about a beautiful morning, or mockingbird hill or grandfather’s clock. Let them raise their childish voices in praise of old black joe, old folks at home, or the old oaken bucket.

Let them learn bass with a baked potato or the woodchuck song. Let them learn a descant as they walk the wide prairie or travel this land is your land. Teach them in between parts with while singing of waterfalls like Montmorenci. They can try their harmony in peace river home.

Let them visit Dixie or the Columbia River or Mexico through music. In music class they can learn life lessons as they list to the blacksmith or the farmer boy.

It’s a poor boy (or man) who isn’t dreamin’ dreams, who’s never had a bluebird on his windowsill or a rainbow over his head. With these songs in your memory, you’ll never walk alone or wonder what to sing round the campfire.

Let them sing at their home on the range, in the land of the silver burch or other far away places. My home’s in Montana, but every child should know a song about the state they live in. Let them meet the Tenessee Slave, the boy in Arkansas who wouldn’t listen to his ma, or climb big rock candy mountain through music. As they walk the wide prairie or come upon the house in the wood the words of these songs will broaden their enjoyment of the music in the air.

Sometimes life is like a beautiful river and you row your boat through the cool water. Other times, you may have a few melancholoy croakers but try to never mind it. Just light one little candle and love will roll the clouds away.

One morning in the meadow you will see how high the grass is growing and simply break into song. There’s flowers blooming in the wildwood as my horse and I race across the sea of grass. Please, don’t fence me in.

I love the mountains but I also love school songs. When the mist and all descends, let them sing about rain upon the roof.

The windows of gold shine brighter when you’re living in the love of the common people. School songs teach us it’s a small world after all.

At the end of the day, when they are on the homeward trail, they can sing their way home.

If you like school songs too, please subscribe by clicking the button below.

–Liz

(There’s 61 school/folk songs referenced here. )

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42 responses to “The Power of School Songs: Why Children Benefit From Folk Music”

  4. oh what fun! You must have had a terrific time working all those songs into your post🤩 It brings back lots of good memories of school singing.

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    • Lovely article! I took a carefree walk down memory lane with nostalgic breezes blowing my skirts.. We sang all those songs in our Georgia schoolhouse in the whispering pines… I have heard a talk at school meeting how our ancestors expended prayers, tears, and great efforts to have their children in Christian schools and the speaker was encouraging that we do want our schools to continue to be Christ-centered. Bible memory work, etc. When I taught, my memory is that we had a time for devotion songs and a time for fun-songs..

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    • Grew up Beachy Amish and the joy and relief our parents felt taking us out of the public school system was huge.So huge that we were not allowed to sing anything but gospel music.Feels like the pendulum has swung pretty far the other way in this culture.

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      • Margaret, thank you for sharing this side of the discussion. Songs that tell Bible stories or portray biblical principles like I’m using my Bible for a Road Map, Peace Like a River as one other commenter mentioned, or A Little Ship on a Big Big Sea are good. It’s the grown-up songs about the road of sin, how dark life can be, or longings for heaven that seem out of place. Thirteen year olds are getting pretty big but they are still children. I appreciate your viewpoint; we could go too far into the frivolous.

  9. I was hoping for a list of song suggestions to fill the bill, and suddenly I realized..”I’m reading it!”

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  11. and this year I learned “new actions” to , I’ve got peace like a river, love like an ocean, and joy like a fountain. I felt like a little girl all over again;

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  13. Yes!! I love that!! There are so many songs for children’s imagination to grow! A song like Montmorency come to life when we visited the Falls one year.
    And yes, there are child appropriate biblical songs that bring joy to their hearts and voices!

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  18. YES 🎶 as Matilda says in Roald Dahl’s book ‘Children are not so serious as grown-ups and they love to laugh.’

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  20. “Children are not so serious as grown-ups and they love to laugh”

    says Matilda in Roald Dahl’s book

    Thanks for writing about children’s singing. I couldn’t agree more.

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  21. Thank you for sharing your thoughts & inspirations. I didn’t find anything with which I disagreed.

    We need to have a balance in all we do – and too many times I find myself near (or even in) the ditch. :-/ So… Keep that in mind as I share my thoughts.

    Most of the time our “School Singing” song content is severely disproportionate compared to the rest of the content of our school day.

    (I’m not talking about devotional time; devotional singing/songs during devotional time is completely in place.)

    Why should our SCHOOL SINGING content be more than 90% devotional when the rest of the school day, as in TEACHING, EXPLAINING, DISCUSSING, is less than 10% devotional?

    If school children do not want to talk religiously all day, then why would we want to spend all of our school singing time singing religiously?

    I think this is closer to the heart of some of us which experience singing as a large part of our existence. While I received much inspiration and much needed soul food from spiritual and deeply spiritual songs, I also need and appreciate many other songs. Songs about life, nature, social interaction, family, my country, other people/countries/cultures help me through the everyday challenges and experiences. It seems to do a lot to round out my existence.

    For what it’s worth, Bob N.

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      • Well said, Elizabeth. Childhood is priceless and some would rush our little ones through it to the cares of adulthood before they are ready or before it’s needful. Let’s rather give words to their carefree joy that they can sing now and bring special memories back when they are old. Great Advice!!

  22. I appreciate this topic and agree with the above. Now, how about someone(s) composing some new “school” songs?! We love the old ones but could use some new ones!!

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  23. I absolutely love this..totally agree with it! Those are the songs I sang when I went to school long ago! Let’s keep singing them!!

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