I get it — note reading probably isn’t your favorite music teaching topic. How could it possibly compete with the joys of bucket drumming and Boomwhackers? You think you know what to do. Your elementary music lessons are simple. You draw five lines and teach them “Every Good Boy Does Fine.” That’s more than enough to teach note reading, right? So why are the students still asking you to write note names in? Why can’t they read what’s on the page?
There are no shortcuts to music literacy. Students need music lessons that teach note reading step by step. When students understand the process for note reading, they transform into confident and capable musicians. Ultimately, your teaching process becomes easier as students develop the independence to read and prepare music themselves. Who wouldn’t want that?
The following three elementary music lessons will each cover an aspect of teaching note reading and music literacy. These elementary music lessons are designed for grades 3-6, once students are ready to build foundations in music literacy. You may also purchase a bundle of all three of the music notation reading lessons here.
1. Clefs and Staff – Google Slides Elementary Music Lesson
Music notation reading starts with understanding the role of the music staff and the various clefs. In this Google Slides lesson, your students will:
- Understand the role of the music staff
- Differentiate between line notes and space notes
- Number each line of the music staff from bottom to top!
- Learn the role of each clef: Treble, Bass (Even Alto and Tenor are mentioned!)
In addition to the lesson slides, this lesson also comes with digital and printable assessments that you can use to evaluate student understanding post-lesson! This is an excellent first lesson to prepare your students for note reading!
2. Reading Music Notation on the Treble Staff – Google Slides Lesson
This note-reading lesson is the perfect follow-up to the Clefs and Staff lesson! The lesson starts by teaching students the music alphabet first, before introducing the names of the line and space notes in treble clef. Additionally, silly, memorable mnemonic devices are included to help your students discover their favorite for the treble line notes E-G-B-D-F.
Here’s what your students will discover in this lesson!
- The Musical Alphabet: A-B-C-D-E-F-G
- Review of the Music Staff – Line and Space Notes
- Names of Treble Line Notes: E-G-B-D-F
- Names of Treble Space Notes: F-A-C-E
- Mnemonic Devices for Treble Line Notes (ex: Every Good Boy Does Fine)
- Treble Notes in Alphabetical Order (Line to Space)
Just like the Clefs and Staff lesson, this lesson also includes a digital and printable assessment that you can use to evaluate your students’ understanding at the end of the lesson.
3. Treble Clef Ledger Lines Notes – Google Slides Music Lesson for Note Reading
If your students are successfully reading notes on the staff, you may notice that there is a bit of uncertainty, guesswork, and confusion surrounding ledger line notes. Ledger line notes can be especially confusing because mnemonic devices won’t work in this case. You’ll find that this lesson is an excellent starting point for teaching the process of reading ledger line notes. Furthermore, it introduces and guides students through exercises using a four-step method to identify each ledger line note in treble clef. And finally, it includes a cheat slide at the end for students to reference when checking their work.
Here’s what’s covered in this lesson:
- Identifying Ledger Line Notes
- The Four-Step Process to Reading Ledger Line Notes
- Applied Practice
As I’m sure you know, learning to read ledger line notes is a process that will require consistent reinforcement to stick. If you’d like to improve your students’ ledger line reading ability, I strongly encourage you to check out my post Teaching Ledger Line Notes in Elementary Music, which includes even MORE resources, games, and tips for teaching ledger line notes to your students.
The Path to Notation Reading and Musical Literacy
Transforming your students into strong, confident note readers is going to take time, patience, and lots of positive reinforcement. With this in mind, teaching note reading starts with having a plan, a method, and consistent reinforcement of that method with students. I make a point not to spoon-feed or pencil in note names for my students, because I feel like this is the slowest path to true musical independence. Instead, in my classroom, we practice note reading as a standard part of the class routine until students are reading accurately and consistently without the need for my assistance, correction, or intervention.
It’s such an incredible thing when your students take ownership of their learning and work as a team to identify notes and correct each other’s mistakes. Step out of the role of note feeder and into the role of music facilitator!
Once your students develop confidence in their note reading, they start to rely on their own knowledge and on each other, rather than wait for the teacher’s help. This shift fosters independence, deepens their understanding, and ultimately makes your students stronger musicians. The more you embed note reading into your daily routine, the more it becomes second nature for your students—and that’s when the real transformation happens. Stick with it, trust the process, and celebrate every small victory along the way!
Are you looking for magical freebies to get your students started on note reading? The Chamber of Freebies is a growing library stocked with engaging materials for music educators. Inside, you’ll find tools for note reading along with printables, music lessons, digital activities, and more to bring a little extra spark to your teaching. ✨
