Develop Music Advocacy by Building Your Students’ Music Literacy Skills
Discover ways to develop music advocacy and raise music literacy skills in your elementary music class. Take a peek at these teacher-tested strategies.
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Building support for your music program doesn’t happen overnight. If you haven’t already, be sure to read the first post in this 3-part series outlining 8 Actionable Steps to Develop Music Advocacy in your elementary music classroom.
In addition to these foundational steps, developing students’ music literacy skills is another powerful way to strengthen advocacy.
Let’s look at how.
What’s in this post? Click to open the Table of Contents
Provide Evidence of Growth in Music Literacy Skills
Parents regularly see evidence of learning from homeroom classes—math worksheets, spelling tests, reading passages, writing assignments. These visible artifacts help families understand what their children are learning and build support for those subjects.
Music class often doesn’t provide that same visibility.
I’m not suggesting piles of worksheets. Instead, we can teach students to become independent music readers and give them simple, authentic ways to share what they’re learning at home. When families can see and hear growth, support naturally increases.
Create Authentic Music Literacy Activities to Share at Home
One practical way to build music advocacy in elementary music is to send home simple, meaningful music reading activities.
In my classroom, I created a Music Reading Series that includes short “Take Home” pages. Each lesson features a very brief music literacy task, usually the sheet music of the targeted reading song. Students practice first in class. Then they take it home to share.
These pages are:
- Very short and manageable.
- Directly connected to what students have learned.
- Designed to build independent music reading skills.
This approach keeps the focus on authentic elementary music literacy instruction, not busywork.
If you’d like to read more about how this works in real classrooms, see:
Homework in Elementary Music Classes, Really?.
Music Literacy Lessons Should Be Consistent
Strong elementary music literacy instruction happens in every class. But that doesn’t mean sending something home every day.
Students need time to:
- Practice activities in class.
- Develop confidence.
- Become independent before performing alone at home.
If activities are sent home too soon without preparation, the strategy can backfire and frustrate students and their families.
In our district, students have music 1–2 times per week. That meant homework went home about every other week. And I intentionally used the word get.
Homework night was special. Students would cheer when I announced it. They were proud to show their families that they could read and sing independently. That pride builds advocacy for your elementary music program in a very real way.
Think you don’t have time to teach music reading activities every day? Take a peek at the post below.
How to Integrate Music Reading Into Every Class
Music Classes Provide Real Academic Learning
Unfortunately, elementary music programs are sometimes viewed as:
- Entertainment.
- Just a planning period for classroom teachers.
- Or “extra.”
But when students demonstrate independent music reading skills (something many adults cannot do) it changes that perception.
When families see their child reading music notation fluently, they recognize that:
- Music class teaches real academic skills.
- Music literacy requires critical thinking.
- Elementary music education has measurable growth.
That visible progress strengthens support among parents, classroom teachers, and administrators.
And that is music advocacy.
Standard Notation vs. Stick Notation in the Elementary Music Classroom
Let me pause for a moment and talk about notation.
In my elementary music classroom, I began with standard music notation, even in kindergarten. I used this approach for many years, and it has worked well for building independent music readers.
For a long time, I didn’t say that out loud. I knew it could invite strong opinions. But, after hearing a respected national presenter share that she also started elementary-age students with standard notation, I felt more confident sharing what has worked in my classroom.
I’m not suggesting everyone change their teaching process. I’m simply sharing that starting with standard music notation has strengthened music literacy in my elementary music program and in turn, strengthened support for it.
If you’d like to read more about this topic, you can see:
Teaching Young Children to Read Music | Stick Dictation vs. Standard Notation
How Standard Music Notation Builds Music Advocacy
So how does this connect to music advocacy in the elementary music classroom?
It comes down to visibility.
Standard music notation is recognizable. Even if parents don’t understand every step of your music literacy sequence, they recognize a staff with notes on it.
And that matters.
Some parents are musically literate themselves. Others are not. But when a child brings home sheet music and can read and sing it independently, families see that real learning is taking place.
“I never understood how to read music. Now after being in your elementary music classes, it makes sense to me.”
Paraprofessionals in My Music Classroom
When students move from iconic reading to fluent reading of standard music notation, it builds:
- A clear sound-to-symbol connection.
- Genuine admiration from families.
- Credibility for your elementary music program.
And credibility leads to stronger music advocacy.
Does Music Literacy Really Build Music Advocacy?
Absolutely! It’s definitely possible to boost support for your music program by improving Yes. It does.
When students in your elementary music classroom can:
- Read music independently.
- Sing from standard notation with confidence.
- Bring home visible evidence of progress.
Families begin to understand that music class teaches real, measurable skills. That shift in perception matters.
Music education is no longer viewed as “extra.” It becomes recognized as an academic subject that requires sequencing, practice, and critical thinking.
If you’re not already prioritizing independent music reading and structured music literacy instruction, now is a great time to begin.
Build Your Community
Another way to build music literacy is by involving others. Continue the series here:
- 8 Steps to Build Music Advocacy in the Elementary Grades
- Increase Music Advocacy by Developing Music Literacy
- Increasing Music Advocacy by Involving Others
Meet the Author
Terri Lloyd is an experienced music educator with over 25 years of teaching in elementary music classrooms. She holds a Master’s in Education, an Instructional Technology Certificate in Curriculum Design, and a Bachelor of Music. Her resources are designed to help music teachers develop students’ music literacy and performance skills while enjoying learning.
She presents music education workshops, develops curriculum, and writes for her blog. Terri is on the music staff at her church and leads a children’s program. She performs as an active community musician with a local Big Band, pit orchestras, and at various events.
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